Forbidden Love
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Buffy Summers is tired of her boring life. She accepts her friend's offer to let loose at the Bronze for one night. A meeting with a stranger changes everything. What happens when he suddenly becomes a big part of her life? Spuffy!
1. Chapter 1

Okay, I'm finally posting this story. I wasn't going to put it in here at first, but I decided to after making some edits. I once again have to thank Jen and Devin for their encouragement and quick read through of the story. I probably wouldn't have been so confident to post if it wasn't for them. I should warn that this will be angst-filled, but I never go overboard with it. Just keep in mind that I'm always about the happy endings. It may seem like something similar has been done before, but I like to think that I do things a bit differently. I'm still a little nervous about this one, so any reviews would really be appreciated. I would love to know what you guys think!

**Chapter 1**

"Come on, B. You need some real fun in your life. Come out with us tonight. I promise you won't regret it."

Buffy Summers looked across the lunch table at her friend. Faith Lehane couldn't be anymore different than her, but they practically grew up together. They always managed to be there for each other and were like sisters. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I have a lot of homework."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Only you would worry about homework on a Friday. You have the weekend for that. Tonight is about having fun. I want you to come to the Bronze with me. Willow and Xander will be there, too. You need to loosen up for a change."

"You know, I take offense to that. I have fun all the time."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "Volunteering at a homeless shelter is not what I would call fun. Just come out with us tonight. If you're not enjoying yourself, then I'll never bother you about it again."

She nodded after a moment. "Fine, I'll go with you, but I might not be staying long."

Faith smiled. "That works for me."

* * *

"All right, ladies and gents, well, Xander. The drinks are on me tonight."

Buffy was surprised when Faith put a pitcher of beer at their table. "How did you manage that?" she wondered.

Faith shrugged. "I have connections."

Buffy rolled her eyes and should have known. They were all underage, but the brunette definitely had her ways.

Faith poured some of the beverage and held it out to the blonde. "You know you want it, B. I bet you can't drink the whole thing."

Buffy wasn't about to back down from a challenge and took the glass from her friend, taking a long sip of the alcohol. She slammed the glass down and scrunched up her nose in disgust. "God, that stuff tastes horrible," she complained, but was pretty sure that she would be having more. Faith was right, this was a night to let loose and have fun. That was exactly what she planned on doing. It was time for a new Buffy, one that wasn't such a good girl. She hated getting teased at school for always following the rules. Buffy picked the glass back up and chugged the rest of the liquid before slamming it down again.

"Maybe you should take it easy there, Buffster. You're not used to drinking," Xander Harris commented.

Buffy shook her head and tried to think clearly. "I can totally handle it, but I think the room might be spinning."

"Wow, you're really a lightweight."

She glared at Faith.

Their other friend, Willow Rosenberg, grabbed Xander's hand and pulled him out of his seat. "We'll just be out there."

Buffy watched her friends go, then glanced at all of the other dancing couples. A part of her really wished that she could be that free.

Faith smiled when she noticed where Buffy's concentration was and also pulled her on the dance floor. She started moving seductively to the song that was playing.

Buffy didn't know what to do and just moved along with Faith, throwing her hands in the air. A group of guys formed around them and Buffy felt satisfied by that. She closed her eyes and got lost in the music, not even realizing when the song ended.

Faith was chatting up a few of the guys that she was dancing with and noticed that Buffy's attention seemed to be elsewhere now. She turned to the bar to see a man sitting there, with a leather coat and bleached hair. Faith smiled and focused back on her friend. "Why don't you go talk to him?" she yelled over the music.

Buffy shook her head when she realized that Faith was talking to her. "I couldn't do that. He's a complete stranger."

Faith sighed. "That's the idea, Buffy. You're the one that told me you were sick of the way your life is. This is your chance to be someone different. Come on, you're probably not even likely to see that guy again. It's just for tonight."

Buffy thought it over and nodded. "Okay, I can do this."

Faith smiled. "That's my girl. Now, go get that hottie." She gave Buffy a little push in the direction of the bar.

Buffy took a deep breath and headed the rest of the way over there. She saw that the man was enjoying a few shots of Tequila and sat down next to him. He never even looked her way and figured that she would have to make the first move. "Is that stuff any good? I've never actually tried it before. I'm more of a beer drinker," she claimed, not wanting the guy to know that she had never tasted alcohol before that night.

He finally turned her way, pushing one of the shot glasses over to her. "Knock yourself out, love."

Buffy swooned inside at the fact that he had an accent. She just took the shot glass and drank it down all at once, cringing at the taste and letting out a cough. She noticed the amused expression on his face.

"It takes some getting used to."

Buffy agreed and held her hand out to him. "I'm Buffy Summers," she introduced herself.

He glanced down at her hand and took it after a few seconds. "Spike Reynolds."

She pulled her hand out of his. "Spike? I'm sure your parents didn't actually call you that."

He smiled and shook his head. "Now, that would just be cruel. The real name is William, but we'll just keep that between us. Did your parents actually call you Buffy?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, is there a problem with my name?"

Spike laughed and liked this girl already, she had attitude. "No, it's a fine name. I was just wondering. So, what's a good girl like you doing here?"

"What makes you think I'm good? I come here all the time. What about you?"

He shrugged. "Every now and then, I feel like I haven't had a break in months. You seem a little young to be here. Are you even old enough to drink?"

Buffy didn't like the way he was looking at her, so she thought of something quick to say. "Of course, I'm twenty-three. I've just always had one of those young faces." She was worried that he wouldn't believe her, but all he did was nod.

"Well, I'm already bored of this place. You feel like getting out of here?"

Buffy didn't think that leaving with him would be the best idea. He could be a rapist or something, but he seemed nice enough and she really wanted to get to know him more. It was the first time that a guy showed her any real interest in over a year. Besides, she was a new Buffy now. At least she would be for that night. "Sure, I'll just let my friends know that I'm leaving. Be right back," she said hurriedly and went to find Faith, praying that she knew what she was getting herself into.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

They burst through his apartment door, lips glued together.

Buffy tried to get her breathing under control when he trailed his mouth down her neck.

He closed the door behind them and moved into his bedroom.

She pressed her hands against his chest and tried not to sound too shy when she spoke. "I've never done this before."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "You've never had sex before?"

Buffy blushed under his gaze. "Yes, I've just never gone home with a stranger before."

He smiled. "Well, I won't be a stranger after tonight."

Buffy decided to let all of her inhibitions go when he met his lips with hers again. This was a night to be a completely different person and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

Spike picked her up and threw her down on his bed, quickly removing his clothes.

Buffy licked her lips when his body was revealed to her.

Spike felt pure lust by just that one act. He stripped her of her clothing next and took in the sight of the naked girl in his bed. She was definitely gorgeous, but after drinking all of those shots, he figured anyone would be right about now. It wasn't like he was completely drunk, anyway. He knew exactly what he was about to do.

Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of her, smashing her lips to his.

Spike slipped his tongue into her mouth and was turned on by the moans that she was making. He pulled away to suck on her neck, licking up and down her throat.

Buffy ran her hands through his hair and threw her head back.

Spike pulled away to look at the pleasure on her face. "You like that, don't you?"

She flashed him a smile. "I like anything you're willing to give."

He positioned himself over her and grinned. "Well, there's plenty more where that came from."

Buffy didn't know what he had in mind, but gasped when she felt him penetrate her. She wasn't expecting that so soon, but she was definitely not disappointed.

Spike moved slowly inside of her, then made his thrusts faster.

Buffy had a feeling that she wouldn't last long at this rate. She gazed up into his eyes and realized how blue they were. A woman could get lost in those eyes.

"Just relax, love. I'll make you feel very good."

Buffy had no doubts about that.

"Bloody hell, you're so tight," he panted.

Buffy didn't want to tell him that she had only ever been with one person before, so she clutched at his shoulders and kissed him hard as a distraction.

Spike continued his fast thrusts. He was never able to keep it at a slow pace. The feel of her was just too much.

She tried to keep up with him.

His eyes bulged when he finally thought about something. "Shit, I forgot about a condom."

Buffy was worried when he was about to pull out of her, but she held him tighter. "It's okay, I'm on the pill."

Spike sighed in relief. "Good thing for that. You don't have to worry about me being diseased, I'm clean."

Buffy cursed herself for not even thinking about that, but felt relieved that he was.

Spike didn't have to worry about this girl being clean. He could tell that she hasn't had a lot of partners and that only excited him more.

"God, Spike. Harder, don't stop," she pleaded.

Spike made his thrusts harder and faster, never wanting to stop. "That's it, baby. Squeeze me just like that. Bloody hell, I think you might kill me."

Buffy never felt so empowered before, but she liked it. "I'm so close, Spike. I won't be able to last much longer."

He loved the fact that she was practically begging now.

Buffy swore that she could see stars and knew that she was about to lose any control she had left. She buried her face against his neck and yelled out her release.

Spike right behind her. He was breathing hard and moved off of her body, so she wouldn't be crushed.

Buffy didn't know what was supposed to happen now.

Spike only nuzzled her cheek and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to his side. "That was bloody amazing."

Buffy had to agree. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

Spike closed his eyes and let himself fall into a peaceful sleep, the first one in a long time.

Buffy watched him for a while longer, until she knew that he was really sleeping. She just lay there thinking and nearly panicked when she noticed what time it was. She was late for her curfew and had to get home. She gazed at Spike's features and gave a sad smile, then slowly moved out of his embrace. She got dressed as quickly and quietly as she could. Buffy left the apartment after giving him one more look, knowing that was a night she would never forget.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It was no surprise to Spike when he woke up alone the next morning. He had a feeling it would only be for one night, but a part of him wished that she would have stuck around. He only went to the Bronze to drown his sorrows and forget about his current problems, one in particular. He never planned on taking anyone home, but there was something special about Buffy. Spike tried to shake those thoughts away, positive that he would never see her again. He groaned when there was a knock on the door and went to answer it, not caring to put a shirt on. He then regretted it when he saw the woman that was standing there.

She licked her lips at the sight of his bare chest. "Were you expecting me, Spike?"

He rolled his eyes and let her into the apartment. "No, but you always manage to drop by unannounced. To what do I owe this pleasure, Lilah?"

She looked around at his messy living area, then back at him. "I didn't realize that I needed a reason to visit my boyfriend. You could clean up in here for a change. I don't even know why you insist on keeping this dreary place, anyway. I do have a huge house with plenty of room. It gets lonely sometimes with just me living there," she said with a pout.

Spike wasn't falling for it. "You can just forget about that. I'm not moving in with you. We've only been together for six months and I need my own space. I'm not ready for that and I doubt if I ever will be."

"Why is that? You need to have a bachelor pad or something? Are you bringing other women here?"

He gave her a smile and trailed his fingers down her arms. "Now, why would I do that when I have you?"

Lilah glared at him. "You're so full of crap. You better not be cheating on me, Spike. I work for one of the best law firm's in the state; I'll make your life miserable."

Spike turned away from her. "You already do," he mumbled.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What was that?"

He shook his head. "I didn't say anything. I'm not cheating on you, okay? I just need my own space, that's all."

Lilah decided to accept his answer. "Fine, but we'll just see how long that lasts. Why don't you come work with me? It's a lot better than being a teacher. I can't believe you would rather educate brats. The pay can't be that good."

"Believe me, being a teacher is much more important. I've wanted to do that since I was a lad. I start my first teaching job on Monday at the local high school. I'm just a substitute for a while, but if that works out, I'm hoping to get a permanent job there."

Lilah rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I just don't understand you, but it's your life. I have an important meeting in a half an hour, so I have to get going. I'll see you later tonight," she said, kissing him quickly on the cheek and leaving the apartment.

Spike let out a sigh and finished getting dressed. It was a good thing Buffy didn't stick around, then. He didn't know how he would be able to explain her to Lilah. There's no telling what she would have done to the poor girl. Lilah Morgan was a complete nightmare and it took him about three months into their relationship to realize that. She wasn't so bad when they first started going out. She seemed much more caring and loving back then, but he soon found out how very wrong he was. Spike always planned on breaking things off with her, but it never seemed to be the right time. She would probably ruin him if he did, but he couldn't stay with her for much longer. He never expected to meet someone like Buffy. She made him laugh and feel alive for the first time in years. He actually hoped that he would see her again.

* * *

"You're killing me here, B. What the hell happened with you and bleach boy?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and got everything that she needed from her locker. Faith had been trying to get the information out of her all weekend, but she didn't feel like telling her what really happened. Not just yet, anyway. "Nothing, we just talked for a bit and then he took me home. It was completely innocent."

"Come on, that guy is like sex on legs. I refuse to believe that you didn't jump him. I know you're not really into that, but I think even you would have given in to temptation."

She shrugged. "I guess I was just able to resist."

Faith sighed. "Why do I hang out with you again? You're no fun."

Buffy flashed her a smile. "Sorry to disappoint, but you would be so lost without me."

Faith figured there was no point arguing with that. "Yeah, whatever you say. I gotta visit the little girl's room, so I'll see you in class."

Buffy watched her friend head off in the direction of the bathroom, probably to have another cigarette. No matter how much she talked to her about that disgusting habit, Faith would never listen. Buffy then headed to her History class, which was the most boring subject ever. She could hardly stay awake during it. She walked into the room and made her way to the center of the class, where Willow was sitting.

"Hey, did you hear that Mrs. Barton had her baby over the weekend?"

Buffy shook her head and sat down. "No, but it was about time. So, I guess that means we have a sub."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, it's some new guy. I heard a few of the cheerleaders talking about him. They caught a glimpse of him coming out of the principal's office. From what they were saying, he's quite a looker."

Buffy was interested now. "That would definitely be a plus compared to all of the other teachers in this school."

Willow agreed. "He's pretty young, too. Well, for a teacher. I can't wait to see what he's like. He has to be more interesting than Mrs. Barton."

"I think anyone would be. Her class is such a snooze fest."

Willow was about to respond, but was cut off by the arrival of their new substitute teacher.

Buffy noticed that everyone got quiet and glanced up at the man that entered the room, her jaw nearly dropping at the sight of him.

Willow noticed Buffy's reaction. "Yeah, they weren't lying about him being good looking."

Buffy just nodded her head and didn't know what else to say to that. She never expected to see Spike again, and definitely not as her teacher. She saw his eyes widen when they landed on her. There was no way this could end well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Buffy could hardly think when Spike's eyes met hers across the room. She could only think about how much she wanted to be elsewhere. She didn't have it in her to face him right now, so without thinking much about it, she threw her hand up in the air.

Spike noticed and pointed to her, finding that speech was difficult at the moment.

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

He nodded and cleared his throat before answering. "Yes, but make it fast." It was killing him to be all professional right now. He couldn't believe that the girl he spent all weekend constantly thinking about was a student in his classroom.

Buffy hurried out of there and ran all the way to the bathroom. She found Faith just about to exit and quickly grabbed her arm, pulling the confused girl back into the restroom.

"Damn, B. Where's the fire?"

She tried to catch her breath before addressing her friend. "The guy from the Bronze is here. He's our substitute History teacher."

Faith was clearly not expecting that. "Are you shitting me?"

Buffy shook her head. "Trust me; I wouldn't make something like that up. What am I going to do? I can't go back in there."

Faith held up a hand to stop her. "What's the big deal? So he finds out that you lied about your age; it's not the end of the world. I'm sure you won't be going to jail for it."

Buffy blushed and suddenly found the floor very interesting. "I may have done more than that."

Faith was happy to finally be getting somewhere. "Oh, and what exactly did you do?"

Buffy took a deep breath and looked up at her friend, finally deciding to confess. "We slept together, okay? Are you satisfied now?"

Faith laughed. "You little slut, I am so proud of you."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "This is serious, Faith. What am I going to do? Not only did I sleep with a guy that I don't even know, but I slept with a teacher. What if he tells Principal Wood? I could get expelled."

"Okay, you're not going to get expelled. I doubt he would tell. His ass would be just as screwed. You didn't even know who he was, anyway. It was just an honest mistake. And if the truth ever does come out, you don't have to worry. I have connections here, too."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

Faith shrugged and checked herself over in the mirror.

It took Buffy a moment to realize what she was probably referring to. "No way, don't tell me you're having sex with the principal."

Faith smiled and walked out of the bathroom. "Fine, I won't tell you."

Buffy was still in shock when she followed after Faith. "You know what? I don't even want to know. That shouldn't really surprise me."

"It's called having fun, B. You should try it every once in a while. I have to admit that nailing a teacher is pretty impressive, even if he is just a sub. So, you ready to go back inside now?"

Buffy stopped when she noticed that they were back at the classroom. She suddenly felt incredibly nervous. "I don't think I can do this."

Faith let out a sigh. "You'll be fine, Buffy. He might not even remember you."

She took offense to that. "It was only two days ago. I would hope I'm not that forgettable. Besides, I could tell by the way he was looking at me that he remembers."

Faith peeked into the room and smiled at the sight of their new teacher writing on the blackboard. "Man, he must have been a nice ride."

Buffy glared at the brunette. "You're really not helping. Just open the door already. I'm hoping that with a classroom full of students, he won't even be able to talk to me. And as soon as the bell rings, we get the hell out of there."

Faith nodded and opened the door, giving Spike a bright smile. "Sorry, I had a little trouble in the ladies room. Buffy was just helping me out."

They were met by snickers from the other students.

Buffy felt like putting a bag over her head, but avoided eye contact with him.

Spike only nodded and motioned for them to take their seats. He would somehow find a way to get Buffy alone to talk. She couldn't avoid him forever.

* * *

Buffy made it all the way to lunch without any contact from Spike. She knew that it was childish to avoid him, but she didn't see any other options at the moment.

"Are you okay, Buffy? You've been really quiet," Willow wondered.

"Yeah, B, is there anything you wanna tell us?"

She scowled at Faith, then turned her attention to Willow. "I'm fine, just didn't get much sleep last night."

Willow accepted her answer and took another bite out of her sandwich.

"You know, I'm actually not all that hungry right now. I'm just gonna get some fresh air," she told them and stood up.

"Do you want us to go with you?"

Buffy shook her head and gave the red head a smile. "It's okay; I just want to be alone right now. I'll see you guys later."

Willow watched Buffy walk away. "I wonder what's bothering her."

Faith only shrugged, but couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

* * *

Buffy walked the halls of school, lost in thought. She wasn't paying attention and crashed into a hard chest. She would have probably fallen if it wasn't for the strong arms that were holding her. Buffy suddenly pulled away when she realized they belonged to Spike.

"Ms Summers, just the person I was looking for. Could I see you in my classroom for a moment?"

Buffy knew that she was in trouble, but only nodded and followed him into the empty room.

He closed the door once they were inside and turned to look at her. "So, you're twenty-three, huh? Either you got held back a few years, or you just really love school."

She took a deep breath before responding. "I'm really sorry. I wasn't exactly thinking very clearly that night. I just wanted to have fun and pretend that I was someone else for a change. I really didn't think I would ever see you again."

Spike nodded. "I see, was that whole thing about not going home with strangers a lie, too?"

She shook her head. "The only thing I lied about was my age. I've really never done that before."

Spike ran his fingers through his hair. "God, this isn't happening. I could go to prison for this. How old are you? Please tell me you're not only sixteen."

Buffy could see the fear in his eyes and felt even worse. "It's okay; I just turned eighteen a couple of months ago."

He sighed in relief at the fact that she was at least legal, but that still didn't make it right. She was his student now and officially off limits. That's what he tried to convince himself, anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"You did what?"

Spike let out a sigh. "Don't make me say it again, Angel."

"I just find this to be hilarious. You had a one night stand with some chick you met at the Bronze, then you find out that she's in high school? That could only happen to you."

Spike glared at him. "I don't even know why I tell you anything."

Angel grinned. "Because you know only I would see the humor in this. I would love to see the look on Lilah's face when she finds out."

"She won't know anything about this. You're the only one I'm telling this to and you better not say anything to her."

Angel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like I would even want to talk to her. The woman scares the hell out of me and that's saying a lot. I don't even know how you put up with her for so long. She must be good in bed."

Spike couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. "She's more like a cold fish. I think I put up with her because I was so desperate to have a girlfriend at the time. I didn't realize what a conniving bitch she would turn out to be."

Angel raised his eyebrows. "She's a lawyer, Spike. What did you expect?"

He shrugged and sat down on his couch. "I don't even know, but I can't take much more of this. She keeps talking about us living together. It'll be a cold day in Hell before that ever happens. I'm going to end things with her, I just haven't figured out how yet."

Angel sat down beside him. "Does this have anything to do with the high school girl?"

Spike sighed again. "I know nothing can really happen with us, but I can't help the way I feel. I won't be her teacher forever, only until her regular teacher comes back from maternity leave. Who knows what could happen after that? At least she's eighteen; you don't know how relieved I was when she told me that."

"I can't believe you would even consider being with a girl that young. You're almost ten years older than her. She must really be good in bed."

Spike rolled his eyes at the fact that Angel always seemed to think about that, but then smiled. "Bloody amazing," he replied.

Angel nodded. "Well, it's your life. I guess you know what you're doing. I'm curious to meet this girl."

Spike thought about it. "If everything works out, you might just get that chance."

* * *

"So, did he seem pissed off?" Faith wondered later that night. 

Buffy shook her head. "No, he actually took it better than I thought he would. I just don't know how I can pretend that nothing happened with us. I don't know how I can sit in that class now and act like he's just a teacher."

Faith nodded. "Okay, I have a solution for this. You don't pretend. Come on, a guy like this doesn't always come around. I say go for it."

She rolled her eyes. "You would say that. I can't just continue to see him, Faith. I actually care about graduating, and his job is on the line. I couldn't ruin that for him."

Faith shrugged. "You worry way too much. It would only be a problem if you got caught. I've been screwing Wood for three months now and you never even picked up on it, I doubt anyone else has."

Buffy's jaw dropped. "Wait, you're actually sleeping with him?"

Faith gave her a look. "And you're shocked by this? We're talking about me here."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, but I just figured you were kidding."

"Oh, I would never joke about that. It just happened when a teacher sent me to his office because she claims I was disrupting the class. I would have done anything to get out of detention. Have you seen the losers in there? Well, of course you haven't, but it's not pretty. We did it right there on his desk, which is a lot of fun. You should try it," she said with a wink.

Buffy was stunned and decided to ignore her last comment. "I just can't believe the principal would do that. He doesn't seem like the type."

Faith laughed. "Please, the man is a complete perv. I'm probably not the only student he's boinking, either."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

Faith shrugged. "Nope, not if it keeps me out of detention. It's not like I'm in love with the guy. I'm all about having fun."

Buffy frowned. "You always seem to just have fun, Faith. Don't you ever want to be in love?"

She scoffed. "What's the point? Men are dogs and that's all there is to it. If you ask me, love doesn't exist."

"I don't really believe that. You've seen my parents; they're so in love it's practically nauseating. I know yours didn't have that great of a relationship, but that doesn't mean real love isn't out there."

Faith looked down and started fiddling with Buffy's bedspread. "My dad treated my mom like crap. He was horrible to her and she just let him be. If that's what love is supposed to be about, I don't want any part in it. Everyone can't be perfect like your parents."

"My parents are hardly perfect. They argue all of the time."

Faith finally glanced back up at her. "Yeah, and then they make up. He doesn't beat the shit out of her."

Buffy placed her hand on the other girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Faith. I didn't realize it was that bad, but at least he's not a problem anymore."

She gave a humorless laugh. "Right, he can't be a problem if he's dead. I would say my mother was better off, but it's hard to tell with her being depressed and getting wasted all of the time. Is it any wonder I turned out the way I did?"

Buffy moved closer and wrapped her arms around Faith, kissing her on the cheek. "You always have me, and you always have a home here whenever you just want to get away from everything."

Faith started to feel choked up, but had a hard time when it came to showing her emotions. "Thanks, Buffy. That means a lot. I'm surprised you would still wanna be my friend after all the crap that I've pulled."

"You and I are forever, babe. That's all there is to it."

Faith granted her with a genuine smile now. "You know it."

There was a knock on her bedroom door and an attractive, blonde woman walked into the room. "Hey, girls. I brought you some chocolate chip cookies. I just made them."

Buffy took the plate of cookies and milk that was offered. "Thanks, Mom."

"Thanks, Mrs. S. Have you done something different with your hair?"

Joyce Summers smiled. "Just highlights," she commented.

Faith smiled as well. "It looks nice."

"Thank you, Faith. I hope you both have finished your homework."

Buffy nodded. "Of course we did, education is very important."

Faith agreed. "Buffy's such a teacher's pet, she made quite the impression on our substitute History teacher today. I have a feeling she'll pull her grades up in no time."

Buffy elbowed her in the side and hoped that her mother didn't notice, but the older woman only smiled.

"That's great to hear, you haven't been doing so well in that class lately. Well, I'll leave you two alone now. It's a school night, so don't stay up too late. Goodnight, sweetie," she said and pressed a kiss to the top of Buffy's head, then did the same to Faith. She gave them both one more smile before leaving the room.

Buffy let out a sigh. "She still treats me like I'm five."

"Well, I've said it once and I'll say it again. You're one lucky bitch, B."

Buffy smiled and had to agree with her friend. Now, if only things could work out with her and Spike. She knew that it wouldn't be right to get involved with a teacher. Even if he wasn't a permanent one, but she couldn't help the way she felt. Buffy tried to put him out of her mind after that, but it was a losing battle.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Buffy was nervous as she waited for Spike to show up and start the class. The other girls were talking around her, but she could hardly pay attention to what was being said. Willow was at a doctor's appointment and Faith was late, as usual. All she could do was sit there and wait, but it was starting to get to her. She heard a throat being cleared next to her and saw that it was Riley Finn, one of the popular guys in school.

He sat down in his seat and gave her a smile. "You looked to be deep in thought. Is everything okay?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows. He never seemed to really notice her before. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

Riley nodded. "This class is hard, huh? I don't know why we need to know this stuff, anyway. It all happened in the past, so why should we worry about it now?"

Buffy had an urge to roll her eyes, but decided not to. "Well, they have to teach us something. It's not so bad."

"That new guy seems kind of young to be a teacher. How old do you think he is?"

She shrugged. "I didn't exactly ask."

The students quieted down a couple of minutes later.

Buffy knew that Spike finally entered the room. She looked up at him and was confused to see him staring at her, but he didn't look pleased. She just avoided his gaze and tried to get through the hour. She barely heard what he was saying and just opened her text book, distracting herself by not taking her eyes off of the page in front of her.

Riley leaned over and whispered in her ear. "He's a bit too serious, don't you think?"

Buffy was about to respond, but never got the chance.

"Is there anything you care to discuss with the rest of us?"

She glanced up to see Spike standing over them and shook her head. "It was nothing."

"Well, it must have been something for you to disrupt my lesson."

Buffy didn't know what to say, but Riley beat her to it.

"Sorry, it wasn't her fault. I was the one that was talking."

Spike turned a glare on the boy, then looked back at Buffy. "Ms Summers, I would like a word with you after school," he said and made his way back to the front of the room.

Some of the girls were giggling and teasing her about being in trouble.

She just slouched down in her seat and again wished for a bag over her head.

* * *

Buffy managed to make it through the rest of the day, but dreaded the walk back to Spike's classroom. She didn't understand why he seemed so upset with her, and to embarrass her in class like that. She only took a deep breath and walked into the room, only to find him messing with some papers on his desk.

Spike looked up and motioned for her to come in. "Give me a second," he stated and finished what he was doing, then ushered her out of the class and closed the door. "Come on, I want to show you something." The school was starting to empty, but Spike didn't dare take her hand in his. No matter how much he wanted to. He just led her to the basement and opened the door for her.

Buffy was confused and nervous about why he would take her there, but she walked inside.

Spike followed after her and closed the door behind them.

There wasn't much light in there and Buffy was starting to feel afraid.

Spike was now able to grab her hand and pulled her down the stairs.

"Okay, I'm really hoping you brought me down here because you wanted to talk privately and not because you plan on killing me," she wondered once they reached the bottom.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "That's not exactly what I had in mind."

Buffy felt even more confused, but welcomed his embrace. "Spike, what's going on? Why were you so mad at me in class and why are we in here?" Anything else she might have said was cut off when Spike slowly pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss soon became more passionate.

Buffy moaned against his mouth and pulled away long enough to breathe. "We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered.

"I don't bloody care right now. I can't stop thinking about you, Buffy. I was going crazy seeing you with Finn, how close he was to you. I couldn't stand it."

She looked up at him. "Is that why you acted like that? You were jealous of him?"

Spike groaned. "It's not something I like to admit, but yeah. I know he's your age and you should be with someone like that, but I can't stand the thought of another man touching you. I know I have no right to think that, but we shared something special the other night. Finding out the truth about you didn't change that. I know I'm risking a lot here, but I'm willing to take that risk. Besides, I think we can be very sneaky. No one ever really comes down here. Although, I do have fantasies about taking you on top of my desk. Maybe that's something we can explore in the future," he said with a wink.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I think I've been hanging around Faith for too long, but that actually sounds very appealing."

Spike smiled and attacked her mouth in a harder kiss.

Buffy took in a deep breath when he started to trail his lips down her neck.

He gasped when he felt her cup his crotch and pulled away to look at her. "You're truly amazing, you know that?"

She looked shy before answering. "No, I don't really know that. The truth is that I've only ever been with one person before. I didn't want you to know how inexperienced I was. I figured you might not want anything to do with me if you knew."

Spike couldn't believe she would think that. "Love, knowing that just makes me want you all the more. There is a lot I can teach you," he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Buffy sighed in relief. "I have a feeling I'll like this subject a lot better," she said with a grin.

Spike laughed and kissed her passionately on the lips. Oh, he was going to enjoy every second with this girl.


	7. Chapter 7

Happy Holidays to one and all!**  
**

**Chapter 7**

"You were groping in the basement?"

Buffy blushed and avoided Faith's gaze. "I don't know what came over me. It's like we can hardly keep our hands to each other when we're together."

Faith laughed. "You are my role model right now. I never knew you had it in you, B, but it's nothing to feel ashamed about. I don't think I could possibly be anymore proud of you."

Buffy sighed. "It was too risky. Someone is bound to catch us if we're not more careful. I don't know why I thought I could ever have a secret relationship with a teacher. That's more your thing," she said, lowering her voice in hopes that no one would overhear the conversation.

Faith raised her eyebrows. "Check out behind you, both of our boy toys are looking in this direction and trying not to be noticed. I think we should wave."

Buffy stopped Faith from raising her hand and turned around to notice that Spike and Robin were talking to each other in the back of the cafeteria. She noticed Spike's eyes land on her for a second, then glance away. "Could you not call him that? I don't think of Spike as a boy toy."

Faith shrugged. "Whatever works for you. Do you think they talk about us to each other?"

Buffy shook her head. "I really doubt that if Spike wants to keep his job, and I'm sure Principal Wood isn't likely to say anything."

Faith agreed and looked away when Robin's gaze focused on her. She knew that things were getting out of hand and planned on ending it with him. It was exciting the first few times, but now she didn't feel right about it. All Buffy's talk about finding real love was starting to get to her. A part of Faith really wanted that and she knew there was no chance of getting it with Robin. Not when he was already married.

* * *

Buffy was happy when the day finally ended. She was tired and just wanted to go home to get some rest, but it seemed someone else had different plans. 

Spike pulled Buffy into his empty classroom and after closing the door, attacked her mouth in a passionate kiss.

Buffy was taken by surprise and pulled away to get her breathing under control. She moaned at the feel of his lips on her neck and tried to think clearly. "Spike, we really shouldn't be doing this in here. It's too risky."

Spike shook his head. "I don't care right now. School's over, no one's likely to come in at this time. I know you've been fantasizing about doing the naughty on my desk," he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Buffy pushed him away. "Do you have to say it like that? The janitor could still come by."

"He already did, so you're out of excuses. I couldn't stop thinking about you today, Buffy. Do you have any idea how crazy you make me?"

She blushed. "Is that a good thing?"

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's a very good thing. I don't think anyone has had that effect on me since I was in high school."

Buffy crashed her mouth to his before he could say anything else.

Spike eagerly returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around her. He then picked her up and carried her over to his desk, not breaking contact with her lips. He plopped her down on top and didn't even care about the mess he was making. Spike trailed his hands up her legs and was relieved for her wearing a skirt. He unzipped his pants and pushed her panties out of the way, then buried himself inside of her warm heat.

Buffy moaned and threw her head back at the wonderful invasion.

Spike was turned on by the sight that she made and thrusted harder into her. "God, you feel so good. I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough."

Buffy clutched at his shoulders and kissed him hard when she felt closer to release.

Spike was breathing heavily and kissed her forehead. He pulled away to stare into her eyes. "That definitely beats any fantasy."

Buffy laughed nervously and buried her face against his shoulder, not believing how little control she had around him. She had a feeling that she would continue to lose control the more she was around him, but was finding it hard to care.

* * *

"Hello, Buffy. What can I help you with today?" 

She smiled as well at the school librarian. He loved his job and was always kind to the students that came in there. "Nothing specific, Giles. I just wanted to look through the books of poetry again. I have a free period right now."

He smiled at the young girl's love for poetry. It was always a favorite of his. "Well, you know where they are. Feel free to ask if you need help finding anything."

Buffy nodded and made her way to the poetry section. She was browsing through the books and heard a sound coming from the next section. It sounded like soft moaning. Buffy was curious and decided to check the area out, shocked at the sight in front of her. She gasped and caused the two people fooling around on the floor to look up at her with embarrassment.

"Buffy, this isn't what it looks like."

She smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Really? It looks to me like you and Xander were making out."

Willow blushed as red as her hair and stood up. "Okay, it is what it looks like, but this is the first time it's happened."

Xander raised his eyebrows and followed her lead.

"Okay, maybe there were a few other times."

Buffy shook her head. "How long has this been going on for? Why wouldn't you guys tell me about it?"

Willow could tell that Buffy was hurt, but Xander spoke before she got the chance.

"It just never seemed like the right time to tell you, Buff. We know how bummed you were to not have a boyfriend. It would feel like we were rubbing our new relationship in your face or something."

Buffy sighed. "You didn't have to do that. I'm fine with not having a boyfriend. I wouldn't have wanted you to keep this a secret. I'm really happy for you guys, I always knew you should get together."

Willow was surprised. "Really?" she wondered.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I mean you've practically liked him since kindergarten. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before Xander realized his feelings for you. We're all friends here, there shouldn't be any secrets." She cringed at those words, knowing that she was keeping a huge secret.

Willow was relieved and gave her friend a hug. "It means a lot that you're okay with this."

Buffy returned the embrace and pulled away after a moment. "I'm more than okay, but I never would have expected you two for making out in the library. I have to say that I'm impressed."

Willow blushed again and Xander suddenly glanced down at the floor.

Buffy smiled. "I'll see you guys later," she said, then made her way out of the library. It felt good knowing that her friends finally hooked up. She only wished that she could tell them about Spike, but had a feeling they wouldn't be as accepting as Faith. One person keeping her secret was enough to deal with at the moment.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"You know what I just realized? I don't even know how old you are."

Spike glanced at the girl lying next to him in bed and smiled. "How old do you think I am?"

Buffy shook her head. "I'm so not going to guess. That would probably get me in trouble."

He laughed and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "I'm twenty-seven, love."

She nodded. "Oh, that's not so bad. I mean, it's only about nine years. Yeah, that's hardly much of a difference."

Spike was worried about the tone of her voice. "It really doesn't matter, pet. We're both adults here. The only thing that would probably bother other people is the fact that I'm your teacher, but I won't be forever. We can keep this a secret until that happens, then they can't do anything."

Buffy looked up at him. "Didn't you tell me that you wanted to get a permanent job there? If that happens, you would still be a teacher. You might not be mine, but it still won't look good."

Spike ran his fingers through her hair. "There are other schools around here, Buffy. I don't necessarily have to work at Sunnydale High. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I wish I had your confidence."

Spike slipped out of her and got more comfortable. Her warmth felt so natural to him now that he didn't even realize he was still buried inside of her after their hours of lovemaking.

Buffy rested her head against his chest and let out a sigh. She told her parents that she would be staying the night at Faith's house, who would cover for her. She hated having to lie to them, but she wanted to spend more time with Spike outside of school and didn't have another choice. "Spike? Do you really think this can work?"

He tilted her chin up and placed a soft kiss to her lips, then gave her a smile. "I have no doubts."

* * *

Buffy entered her house and headed into the living room, stopping when she saw both of her parents in there. She just knew they were waiting for her and hoped they didn't somehow find out about Spike. She wasn't in the mood for an intervention.

"Honey, come take a seat."

Buffy was worried about the concerned tone in her mother's voice and sat down on the couch. "What's going on?"

Joyce took a deep breath before she began. "There's no easy way to say this, but your father and I have decided to separate."

Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her parents had the perfect marriage; she never would have seen this coming. She gazed at her father and noticed that he looked guilty, then back at her mother. "Why are you doing this? You guys are always happy. Are you getting divorced?"

Hank decided to be the next one to speak up. "No one is talking about divorce, Buffy. Your mother and I just need a break. We have some issues to work through and feel that it would be better if we spent time apart to make things easier. It will probably only be temporary, but it's for the best right now."

Buffy shook her head and stood up, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't accept that. There has to be a reason of why you're doing this, something that you don't want me to know about. You're still treating me like a child. I can handle whatever it is."

Joyce and Hank exchanged looks and decided that it would be better if Buffy didn't know the truth just yet. They glanced back at their distraught daughter, Joyce taking Buffy's hand in hers.

"We're sorry about this, sweetie. We both love you very much and we hoped that everything could be worked out before you knew about this, but too much has happened. I just wish we could make you understand that this is the right thing to do. Your father has decided to rent an apartment not that far from here. You can feel free to visit him anytime you want."

Buffy pulled her hand out of her mother's grasp. "There's still something you're not telling me, but forget it. I don't even care to know anymore. Thank you both for basically ruining my life," she spat, then ran out of the house and didn't look back.

* * *

Buffy couldn't control her tears any longer when Faith opened her door. She just threw her arms around her friend and sobbed her heart out.

Faith was concerned and rubbed Buffy's back, pulling her into the house and closing the door.

* * *

"You're…You're what?"

Lilah rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's state of shock. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? I'm pregnant, Spike."

He still couldn't believe it and sat down on his bed. "No, you can't be. We were very careful."

"Well, you know condoms aren't always accurate."

Spike glared at her. "You said that you were on the pill."

She shrugged. "That doesn't always mean anything, either. We're going to have a baby, so I suggest you deal with it."

Spike stood up and started pacing the room. "How can you tell me to deal with this? You're not even mother material. I was going to break up with you," he finally admitted.

Lilah wasn't fazed. "Oh, that won't be happening. I'm not raising this kid on my own and yes, I will be keeping it. You're in this just as much as I am. I won't let you walk away now."

Spike ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't even love you, Lilah. We're horrible together; you can't be serious about this. How do I know that the baby's even mine?"

Lilah crossed her arms over her chest. "Just what are you implying?"

He moved closer to her. "Don't think I haven't noticed how close you are with that bloke you work with. I wouldn't be surprised if you were shagging him on the side. I think I would need proof that this baby is really mine, then we'll see what happens after that. If it turns out that I am the father, I'll do whatever I can to support him, but that's it. We're over, Lilah. You getting pregnant isn't going to change how I feel about you. This should have ended a long time ago. Bloody hell, it never should have started in the first place."

Lilah was angered and wondered how he knew about Lindsey, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. "We'll see about that. I'll catch you later," she told him, then made her way out of his apartment.

Spike sat back down on his bed. He did want to be a father, but not with her. Lilah Morgan would never be his choice to start a family with. God, he prayed the baby wasn't his. Spike didn't know what he would do then.


	9. Chapter 9

I guess because the e-mail alerts don't seem to be working again, a lot of you might have missed the last chapter. I hope you guys are still interested, I'm about to get into the good stuff. Thanks to those that have reviewed! **  
**

**Chapter 9**

"I just don't know what could have happened. My parents were always so happy. Yeah, they got into arguments every now and then, but I didn't think it was all that serious."

Faith nodded. "I wish I knew what to tell you, B. I'll call your mom and tell her that you'll be spending the night here, so she doesn't have to worry. I'm sure you're not up to talking to them right now."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm really not. They can't just spring this whole separation on me out of nowhere and just expect me to be okay with it."

"Well, look on the bright side. At least they're not getting divorced."

Buffy gave a humorless laugh. "Not yet, but it's probably only a matter of time. I doubt they'll be able to work out whatever's going on anytime soon. I just know something happened that they're not telling me."

Faith took a deep breath and decided to voice what has been on her mind. "I hate to make you feel even worse, but I might have some idea."

Buffy raised her eyebrows and waited for Faith to continue.

"I don't know for sure, but maybe your dad is having an affair or something."

Buffy's jaw practically dropped at that. "There's no way. My dad would never cheat on my mom. I can't believe that."

Faith held her hands up in surrender. "I'm just saying. I've been at your house, Buffy. He's always working late and calling your mom with some lame excuse. Those are usually the signs. My dad cheated on my mom pretty much during their whole marriage. She was just too blind to see it, but I wasn't stupid. I know that's not something you wanna hear, but it could be a possibility."

Buffy still couldn't believe it. There had to be another reason and she was determined to find out what.

* * *

Spike watched as the students filed out of the classroom, noticing that Buffy seemed to be the last one to gather up her belongings. She was moving at a slow pace and Spike was becoming worried. She seemed distant during his lesson. Not that she was usually interested in History, but she would at least make minor eye contact with him.

"Buffy, can I see you for a moment?" he asked before she could leave the room.

She just nodded and headed over to his desk, realizing that everyone else already left.

"Are you feeling okay today? You seem to have a lot on your mind."

Buffy shook her head. "It's not really anything important. I'm just dealing with family stuff."

"Well, you know I'm available if you want someone to talk to," he explained.

Buffy wondered if he was being in teacher mode or boyfriend mode. She stopped that train of thought when she realized that Spike technically wasn't her boyfriend, no matter how much she wanted him to be. They haven't really talked much about their relationship, so she wouldn't label it just yet, but she felt like getting her problems off of her chest. "My parents are splitting up. My dad's moving out this weekend."

Spike sympathized with her. "I'm sorry about that, pet. I know how much it hurts."

Buffy nodded. "It's just a lot to take in. They always seemed like the perfect couple. I guess there's no such thing. I'll see you later," she commented, then left the room before he could respond.

Spike felt his heart go out to the girl. He only knew her for about a week, but she was already invoking feelings in him that he couldn't remember ever having before. Not even for Cecily, who was his first love. He wanted to care for Buffy and protect her. These intense feelings were starting to worry him, but he decided to dwell on them another time. Spike had Lilah to worry about now and the possibility that she might be carrying his child. He still had hope that the baby wasn't his, but he wouldn't know until he saw a paternity test. He couldn't even think about how Buffy would react if she ever found out.

* * *

A few weeks later and Buffy was still adjusting to having her parents live in different places. She kept alternating between residences on the weekends and it was tiring. She just wished that things could go back to the way they were. She still didn't know the real reason for the separation, but wasn't about to give up.

"Are you having an affair?" she suddenly blurted out.

Hank stared at Buffy in shock, completely took by surprise. "Why would you ask that?"

"I know something serious happened between you guys and that's the only thing that makes sense."

Hank avoided her gaze and took on a guilty expression. He hated having to lie to her.

Buffy took his silence to mean that she was right. "I don't believe this. It's actually true? If it wasn't you wouldn't be all with the guilt face right now. How could you do that Daddy? How could you betray us like that? Who is it, huh? Is it your slut of a secretary? I knew there was a reason why I didn't like her."

Hank was stunned. "You don't talk about her like that, young lady. She's a nice woman and you don't even know her."

Buffy glared at him. "She's a homewrecking bitch and I don't want to ever know her."

"I won't ask you again, Buffy. She has nothing to do with this. It's between me and your mother. We would tell you if we thought you had a reason to know. It's best that you just forget about this and let it go."

She wasn't about to back down. "How can I just let this go? You broke up for a reason and I have a right to know what it is."

Hank was starting to lose his temper. "I just need space, all right? I can't deal with being around your mother right now."

Buffy stood up angrily. "That's not a good enough answer. You just need space to spend more time with your whore. I don't want anything to do with you," she spat and ran out of the apartment.

Hank sighed and sat down on his couch. She would understand soon enough that he had to leave. He just didn't want to be the one that ended up breaking her heart with the truth. She had to find out on her own.

* * *

Buffy wiped the tears from her eyes when she walked into her house. She couldn't stay with her father any longer. She headed to the kitchen and stopped when she heard her mother's voice. There was no one else around and figured that she was talking with someone on the phone, but Buffy didn't know who.

"I'm sorry about this, Mark. I want to work things out with my husband. I can't keep doing this to him and Buffy. I should have never gotten involved with you. It was a huge mistake."

Buffy gasped at what she overheard.

Joyce turned around to notice her daughter standing there. "I have to go," she said and quickly hung up the phone. "Baby, I can explain."

Buffy shook her head and backed away, more tears falling from her eyes. "It was you? You're having the affair?"

Joyce wanted to take Buffy into her arms, but knew that it wouldn't be welcomed at the moment. "It was a mistake, honey. I would give anything to take it back."

Buffy moved further away from her mother. "Why would you do this? I thought it was Daddy. I said horrible things to him and it was you this whole time."

Joyce reached out to Buffy, but she avoided her grasp.

"Don't touch me," she spat. "I really hope screwing him was worth it, Mom. I can't even look at you right now. Just stay away from me." Buffy then bounded upstairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her. She threw herself onto the bed and broke down into hard sobs, not knowing if she would ever be able stop.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Hank looked ashamed before addressing his daughter. "I didn't think it was my place."

Buffy sat down on the couch. "I just can't believe Mom could do this. Do you even know the guy?"

Hank nodded and sat down beside her. "He would come into the gallery sometimes. I always had my suspicions, but it took me a while to actually confront your mother about it."

"How long has it been going on? How did I never notice?"

He shrugged. "You would have never believed your mother was capable of something like that. I think it was going on for a few months. I just wanted to remain in denial."

Buffy could feel the tears start to cloud her vision now. "I'm so sorry, Daddy. I never should have accused you of having an affair. You had every right to leave her. I want to stay here with you. I can't live in that house anymore."

Hank shook his head. "No, I need you to stay there. I'm angry at your mother for what she did, but I don't want her to be alone. She still needs us right now and I believe that she wants to work things out."

"I don't even know how to face her."

Hank patted his daughter on the back. "You will, sweetheart. It just takes time. I don't want you to shut her out because of this. She is your mother and still deserves some respect. I know she deeply regrets what happened and she'll have to live with that for the rest of her life."

She rested her head against his shoulder. "Why do relationships suck?"

He chuckled and placed a kiss to the top of her head. "I think that's a question we'll never know the answer to."

Buffy nodded and remained there in silence. She didn't understand why he wasn't more upset about it. She just figured that he was, but didn't want to show her how he really felt. Buffy let out a sigh and thought about what her parents were going through. She always remembered them being happy and completely in love. If they couldn't even manage to stay together, what hope did she have?

* * *

Spike was surprised when he opened his door and found Buffy there. He was about to say something, but was again taken by surprise when she pounced and attacked his mouth with hers. He pulled her into the apartment and broke away to breathe.

"Buffy, is everything okay?"

She just pushed him over to his room, shoving him down on the bed.

Spike gazed up at her and saw that she was starting to remove her clothes. He was cut off again when she pressed a finger to his lips.

"Don't say anything. I need you to make me forget, Spike."

He had a feeling this had something to do with her parents, but he wasn't about to deny her what she needed.

Buffy kissed him hard and helped him get rid of his shirt, then moved to take off his pants. She made a pile of their clothes on the floor, without breaking contact with his lips. She moaned into his mouth and without putting much thought to her actions, lowered herself onto him. This was a new position for them and she was always up for trying something different.

Spike placed his hands against her waist and held her there.

Buffy lifted herself up a little, then thrust back down harder. She kissed his lips, slipping her tongue inside.

Spike massaged his tongue with hers and wrapped his arms around her tighter, trailing his fingers down her smooth back.

Buffy screamed out her release a moment later, which was muffled by his mouth. She was breathing heavily as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Spike rubbed her back and could feel her shaking. It didn't take him long to realize that she was crying. "It'll be okay, baby. I'm always here for you," he whispered and continued to hold her, hoping that she would be all right.

* * *

Buffy found her mother sitting on the couch in the dark living room. She didn't want to talk to her, but figured that she couldn't avoid the conversation forever.

"I suppose you were at your father's again."

Buffy sighed and turned on a light to see her mother better. It was then that she noticed the bottle of whisky on the coffee table and an empty glass in Joyce's hand. "We need to talk, but I would rather not do it when you're drunk. I'll just be upstairs."

"I only had one glass, Buffy. Please don't leave yet," she pleaded.

Buffy turned back around and decided that it was about time she dealt with her mother. "Fine, but I'm only doing this for Daddy's sake. For some reason, he thinks you should be given a chance," she explained, sitting down on the other side of the couch.

Joyce took a deep breath. "I can't even tell you how sorry I am."

"I'm not the one you need to be apologizing to. Dad has always done everything for you. He was the perfect man. How could you just throw all of that away? Who is this guy? Does he have a family of his own?"

She shook her head. "No, he lost his wife a couple of years ago. I'm not planning on seeing him again. I know that what I did was a mistake and there isn't a day that I don't regret it. I want you to know that I love you and your father very much. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt either of you. I know I can't take back what happened, but I would like to try and make up for it."

Buffy could see how sincere her mother was and decided to give her a break. "We'll take it one day at a time. I can't forget about what you did, but maybe I can learn to forgive it. I know Daddy still loves you and he wants to work things out. He just needs time alone right now. He'll come around eventually. I do love you, Mom. I believe you if you say you won't be with this guy anymore, but it still hurts. Your relationship had me believing in so many things. It had me believing that real love does exist. I don't even know if I can believe that anymore."

Joyce took her daughter's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "It does exist, honey. I don't want you to ever doubt that. You will find a great love. I honestly believe that."

Buffy gave a small smile. A part of her did believe in love, but a bigger part wondered if she would ever find it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"So, how are things going at home?"

Buffy shrugged. "Okay, I guess. My dad is still living elsewhere and I don't talk to my mom much. Things are better with us, but it's still hard to look at her the same way again."

Faith agreed. "I have to say that I never would have expected your mom. She never seemed like the type."

"Those are the ones you usually need to look out for."

Faith glanced around the cafeteria and noticed Willow and Xander kissing in the distance. It didn't take long for the truth to be known about the two of them. "Do they ever come up for air?"

Buffy turned to see what had Faith's attention. "I think it's sweet that they're so into each other."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I bet Red would hate to know that I got there first."

Buffy stared at her friend in shock. "You and Xander? When did this happen?"

"It was just once during sophomore year. I rocked his little virgin world," she stated with a grin.

"Do me a favor and never tell Willow about that."

Faith nodded. "I wasn't planning on it. I guess they do look good together, if you like that sort of thing."

Buffy glanced back at her friends and smiled, hoping she would have that one day.

* * *

"Jesus, B. What's got your panties in a twist?" Faith commented when Buffy pulled the brunette into her room and closed the door. 

"Thanks for coming over. I really need you right now."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "You're hot and all, but not exactly my type."

She rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant. I need you to keep this between us, okay?"

Faith was interested now. "Sure, what's up?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "I'm late, Faith. I got a pregnancy test yesterday."

"Shit, did you take it yet?"

Buffy shook her head. "I was too scared to. I didn't want to do it alone, that's why I called you."

Faith nodded in understanding. "Okay, there's no use panicking until you know for sure. It's probably nothing, but you won't know until you take the test."

Buffy knew that she was right and decided to just get it over with. "Yeah, I'll be right back," she said and hurried to the bathroom.

Faith waited for Buffy to come back and when the girl finally did, she had a look of fear on her face.

"It's positive. I'm…I'm pretty sure I did it right."

Faith looked at the stick in Buffy's hand, then back up at her friend. "These tests aren't always accurate. I must have taken a couple before and one even came out positive, but there was obviously no baby. I think you need to go to the health center to get a better opinion."

Buffy nodded. "I'll make an appointment next week. Will you come with me?"

Faith wasn't a big fan when it came to doctor's, but the look on her friend's face was enough to convince her. "No problem, I should get a check up myself. I'm probably long overdue. No matter what happens, we'll get through it together."

She was relieved knowing that Faith would be there with her. Buffy couldn't imagine dealing with this alone, but if she was pregnant, she feared about how Spike would take it.

* * *

Buffy didn't know why she was walking to Spike's apartment a couple of days later. It was killing her to keep inside the fact that she might be pregnant. She decided to tell Spike before she went for the check up. She had to know what his reaction would be about the possibility of her having a baby, whether it would be good or bad. Buffy frowned when she noticed that his door was opened a crack and peered inside. She couldn't see much, but noticed that Spike was in there with someone. Their voices carried out to her and she realized that he was in there with another man. She knew that it would be best to come back later, but a part of her was curious to know what they were talking about. 

"A baby would ruin everything, Angel. I care about Buffy and this is the last thing I need right now. I feel like I'm in a bloody nightmare."

Buffy gasped at his words and felt tears in her eyes. She didn't know how Spike could have found out, but he somehow did and wasn't too happy about it.

"You need to tell her the truth, Spike. You need to end it with her before things get even more out of hand. This is too much for you to deal with, man."

Buffy backed away from the door having heard enough. She just ran away from his apartment, tears streaming down her face.

* * *

"I already told you that I was going to break up with Lilah. This is just like her to throw a baby into it. I know she hasn't been faithful. There's a huge chance this kid isn't even mine. She just wants me to think it is to get me in her bloody trap, so I would support her. The other bloke that knocked her up is probably not even willing to do anything." 

Angel nodded. "How does Buffy fit into all of this?"

Spike let out a sigh. "I don't know. I care about her deeply. I already know that it has the potential to turn into love, but she's so young. It may not bother her now, but that could all change. She's a high school senior. She should be with a boy her age, one that can take her to school dances and give her all of those high school experiences that I can't. If she's with me, she'll be deprived of all of that. I know this makes me selfish, but I don't think I can let her go. Just the idea of any bloke touching her makes me want to rip his bloody arm off. I just don't know what to do."

"Man, you do have it bad. I guess the first thing you need to do is find out if that baby is really yours. Buffy won't need to know the truth until then. There's no use worrying her about a kid that might not even belong to you. She doesn't even know about Lilah, does she?"

Spike shook his head.

"Well, then I suggest you end things with the bitch fast. It's best to nip this in the bud before…"

"The bud nips me?" Spike cut in.

Angel nodded. "Yeah, I wish you luck with that."

Spike sat down on his couch and thought about what he was going to do.

* * *

"Congratulations, you're pregnant." 

The girls exchanged worried looks at the doctor's news.

Buffy squeezed Faith's hand for comfort, not knowing what else to do.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Faith, wait up!" Buffy yelled to her friend after they left the clinic.

The brunette turned around. "I just need to be alone right now, B."

Buffy wasn't about to leave her alone at a time like this. "Remember what you said? That no matter what happens; we'll get through this together. Don't shut me out, Faith. It's going to be okay."

"How is this going to be okay? I'm knocked up by my principal. There is nothing okay about that. At least you lucked out by having negative results. I knew it would be a mistake for me to come here."

Buffy shook her head. "It wasn't a mistake. It's good that you found out. I may not be the pregnant one, but I'm still here for you."

Faith wiped at her eyes angrily. She hated showing any weakness, but knew that Buffy would just see through it. "I don't know what to do. I can't have this baby, Buffy. I just can't. I'm the last person in this world that should ever raise a child. The father is just someone that I've been screwing to stay out of detention. I was going to tell him that it's over, there's no way I can tell him about this. He's married and has his own life to deal with. I'm not ready for any of this."

Buffy wrapped her arms around the distraught girl and let her cry against her shoulder, giving Faith any comfort that she could.

* * *

Spike was grading papers at the end of the day and looked up when he heard a throat being cleared. He saw that it was Buffy and gave her a smile, which quickly faded at the somber expression on her face. 

"Is everything okay?" he wondered.

She shook her head and moved closer to his desk.

Spike stood up and had a feeling that whatever she had to say was serious.

Buffy took a deep breath before speaking. "I went to your apartment the other day to tell you that I might be pregnant." She saw the surprised look on his face and continued before he could say anything. "Don't worry, I'm not pregnant. I know that for sure now, but it was a pretty close call."

Spike sighed in relief, but had a feeling that wasn't all she wanted to say.

"That close call has opened up my eyes a bit about our relationship. I think we really need to talk, and I don't think it should be here."

He nodded and was about to respond, but never got the chance.

"So, this is your classroom? It's a bit plain."

Spike cursed under his breath at the sight of Lilah now standing in the doorway. "What are you doing here? I'm talking to a student right now," he explained, hoping that she would take the hint and leave, but there was no such luck.

Lilah stepped further into the room. "I just wanted to see where my boyfriend worked. I know how much this school means to you," she replied and placed a quick kiss on his lips, then turned to Buffy. "Well, aren't you just adorable? Would you be a doll and give us a moment alone, sweetie? I'm sure whatever you're talking about can wait."

Buffy was still in a state of shock when the woman entered the room, even more now that she claimed to be his girlfriend. She just shook her head and glanced back at Spike. "That won't be a problem. Thanks for the help, Mr. Reynolds. It's all perfectly clear to me now," she commented, then left the room.

Spike could see the hurt on Buffy's face and wanted to go after her, but that would only make Lilah suspicious. He just gave his soon to be former girlfriend a cold look. "What the bloody hell are you doing here? You never cared to show any interest in my work before."

She shrugged and handed him an envelope. "I just thought you would like to see this. It's the paternity test."

Spike was nervous, but didn't waste anytime to check it out. He had pure relief on his face when he read the results. "The baby's not mine?" he wondered, just to be sure.

"No, the baby's not yours. You seem pretty happy for someone that was being cheated on."

Spike grinned. "Pet, I don't bloody care how many men you've been with. I'm just glad to know that you're not carrying my child. Let's face it, Lilah. We're not meant to be together, you know that. We can just go our separate ways now. You can have a life with him and forget all about me. I guarantee we'll both be better off."

Lilah nodded after a moment. "I suppose you're right. It was good while it lasted. I'm still wondering if you're this happy because there's someone else in the picture that you would rather be with."

Spike handed her back the envelope and snatched up his belongings. "I guess you'll never know," he said and made his way out of the classroom, not even bothering to look back.

* * *

He was surprised to see Buffy waiting for him when he got back to his apartment. 

"Hey, I'm glad you're here."

Buffy nodded and waited for Spike to get the door open, then followed him inside.

Spike put his stuff down and turned to face her. "I can explain about Lilah. She was my girlfriend, but she's not anymore. I'm sorry that I never told you about her. I planned on breaking up with her for months before I ever met you, it just never worked out. I wasn't with her in the time that I've known you. I could have never continued being with her after you, Buffy. She's finally out of the picture now, so you won't have to worry about her ever showing up again."

Buffy thought about what he said, but still knew that she had to do this. "I told you that I came by your apartment before. I heard you talking to a guy in here about how a baby would ruin your life. I just assumed that you found out about me maybe being pregnant, but the look on your face earlier proved that you knew nothing about it. You were talking about her, weren't you? Is she pregnant?"

Spike let out a breath that he didn't even realize he was holding. "She's pregnant, but the baby's not mine. That's why she came by the school. It turns out that she was seeing someone else. I couldn't be more relieved about that."

"Do you want to have kids?"

He was taken by surprise at that question, but was going to answer her honestly. "Yes, I do want kids one day. I'm just not ready right now."

"What would you have done if I was pregnant?" she wondered.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I would have dealt with it. I would have never left you to raise a baby on your own. I would have taken full responsibility."

"And if she was pregnant with your child? What would you have done then?"

Spike threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know what you expect for me to say. Yes, I would have taken responsibility if the baby was mine, but that's all. I still wouldn't have chosen to be with Lilah, not even if she was having my child. The woman is horrible. I don't even know why I stayed with her for as long as I did, but it's over now. We won't have to worry about her again."

Buffy shook her head and looked away from his gaze. The next part would be the hardest to say, but she felt that it was the right thing to do. She glanced back at him and tried to fight the tears that wanted to come out. "Yeah, it is over. I don't think we can see each other anymore."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"What? Is this because of Lilah? I told you she wouldn't be a problem now."

Buffy shook her head, finding that it was hard to keep her tears back. "It's not just about her. Yes, I wish you would have told me you had a girlfriend, but it's more than that. This is all too much for me, Spike. We never should have gotten involved. We didn't even think about all of the consequences. I was really scared when I thought that I might be pregnant. It made me realize that I'm not ready for any of this. Being with you is just too much right now," she finished.

Spike wouldn't accept that. "We can work it out, Buffy. I know things seem hard now, but they won't always. I love being with you. I don't care what happens down the road. The only thing that I care about right now is you. I know it sounds crazy because we haven't known each other that long, but I can't help the way I feel. We can just take things slow from now on. Please, at least think about it." He hated the pleading tone in his voice, but was willing to do anything to stay with her.

Buffy moved closer to him and pressed her lips to his in a soft caress, knowing that it would probably be the last time. "I'm sorry, William," she whispered, then left his apartment.

Spike watched her go, feeling tears of his own start to form in his eyes.

* * *

Buffy sulked in her room all weekend, not wanting to talk to anyone. She dreaded having to go to school and face Spike, but she decided to be strong about it. She hadn't heard from Faith in a couple of days and was starting to worry, praying that her friend was okay. Buffy walked into the school, with her head held high. She knew that she made the right decision and refused to let it take over her life. She headed to her locker and got everything that she needed, slamming the door shut and almost colliding with the hard chest that was suddenly next to her.

"Hey, Buffy. I was hoping we could talk."

She sighed and really wasn't in the mood to talk to Riley, but decided to try being civil. "What would we need to talk about?"

He looked nervous before responding. "I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go out with me some time."

Buffy laughed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I just find that to be funny. We've been in the same classes since freshman year and you never once talked to me. Why would you bother now?"

Riley shrugged. "Well, you have that whole mysterious thing going on for you. I figured that maybe we could get to know each other better. I've always wanted to talk to you. I just didn't really know how."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "The most popular guy in school had trouble talking to someone like me? I find that very hard to believe. We would never work, Riley. We're from two different worlds," with that said, she walked away and headed to class.

"So, you'll think about it then?" Riley called after her, but she was already long gone.

* * *

Buffy sat in class and waited for Spike to arrive. She wondered if Faith would be showing up that day, but had a feeling the other girl wouldn't be making an appearance. Buffy looked up just in time to see Spike walk into the room. She gasped at the sight of him. His hair was all messy and there were bags under his eyes, it looked like he hadn't slept in days. She couldn't believe that the break up would have affected him that much. Buffy could tell that he spent time drinking and was probably still dealing with a hangover. She was surprised that he decided to come in at all.

Riley plopped down next to Buffy and gave her a smile. "I think we should at least go out once, Buffy. If you don't have fun, then I'll never bother you about it again. I'm really not a bad guy. I might end up surprising you."

She rolled her eyes again. "Look outside, Riley. Do you see pigs flying by any chance?"

He actually looked out the window, shaking his head after a moment. "No, is that even possible?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "It means that I won't go out with you, until a flying pig passes that window. Keep looking, they might surprise you."

Riley nodded and continued to stare out of the window.

Buffy couldn't hide the smile that formed on her lips. He was just too easy. She then glanced back at Spike and saw the sad expression on his face, with a hint of jealousy. She just had an urge to hold him and tell him that everything would be okay, but knew that she couldn't do that. She had to be strong right now. It would be better for both of them if they just moved on, but she wasn't desperate enough to go out with Riley Finn. The dumb jock was still looking out that window. Buffy just shook her head and gazed down at her notebook, knowing that it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Buffy found it hard to be around Willow and Xander later that day. She was happy for her friends, but suddenly found their public display of affection to be nauseating. She couldn't stand seeing couples in love after her relationship fell apart. Not that it was really much of a relationship, anyway. Besides Faith, no one even knew about them. It just seemed to be based on a lot of sex. Not that she had a problem with sex, but there should be more to a relationship than that. A part of her felt betrayed that he hid the fact that he had a girlfriend. It made her wonder about why he never said anything. After the whole thing with her parents, she didn't believe in cheating on your significant other. That woman might be horrible, but it still didn't make it right. Buffy didn't even know if she would be able to trust Spike after that. If he cheated once, then he would probably be capable of cheating again.

She groaned when she spotted Riley in the distance. He was licking his lips and giving her a creepy look. Buffy couldn't take it anymore and grabbed the first guy that walked by her, planting a hard kiss on his mouth. She pulled away a few seconds later and was glad to see that Riley was gone; maybe he would finally get the hint that she wasn't interested. Buffy was about to head in the other direction, but stopped when she saw Spike standing outside of his classroom. The look on his face showed that he saw the kiss. He looked hurt and just walked away. Buffy wanted to go after him and tell him that it didn't mean anything, but she couldn't get her feet to move. She just glanced at the boy that was still standing next to her, with a goofy grin on his face.

"So, you wanna go somewhere and make out some more?" he wondered.

Buffy cringed and got away from him as fast as she could. God, she just wanted this day to end already.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Buffy, I'm so glad I found you."

"Take a deep breath, Will. What's up?" she wondered.

Willow tried to get control of her breathing before she answered. "I wanted to tell you not to go out with Riley."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Why would I go out with Riley? How did you even know that he asked me out? You weren't in class this morning."

She nodded. "Yeah, I came late. I overheard some of the guys talking and they made a bet with Riley. He said that he can get you to sleep with him on the first date. I had to warn you to make sure that you wouldn't go out with him."

"Is that a fact? Well, you don't have to worry about that. I would never let that idiot touch me."

Willow was relieved. "That's good to hear. I heard them making fun of you in front of the boy's locker room. I wanted to give them a piece of my mind, but you know I hate confrontation. I just went looking for you instead."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks for the head's up, Will. I'm gonna go take care of it myself. I'll see you later."

Willow watched her friend walk away, a small part of her felt sorry for Riley.

* * *

Buffy saw Riley and his jock friends laughing in front of the locker room, having a feeling that it was about her. She had a strong urge to wipe that stupid grin off of his face and marched over to them. 

The laughter died down when they saw her approach, but the smile remained on Riley's face.

"Hey, Buffy. I was just thinking about you."

She smiled in return. "I was just thinking about you, too. I decided that I would love to go out with you, Riley."

He seemed stunned, but not disappointed. "I knew you would come around."

Buffy stepped closer to him. "Wait, I just remembered something," she stated, then brought her knee up into his groin.

Riley cried out in pain and fell to the floor, his friends moving to help him.

"I just remembered that I don't date morons. You should probably put some ice on that. See you around," she said sweetly, then walked away with the smile still on her face.

* * *

Buffy knew that she had to talk to Spike about what happened earlier that day, so she headed to his classroom after school. She was surprised to see him packing up his desk once she arrived there. 

"What are you doing?"

Spike looked up at her and shrugged. "What does it look like? I decided to quit, this is my last day. I could have just given my two week's notice, but I can't stay here for that long. Besides, Principal Wood has already decided to let Mr. Giles take over the class until the regular teacher returns. He's not just a stuffy librarian. Apparently, he's also pretty good when it comes to History."

Buffy wasn't expecting that. "Why would you quit? I thought you liked it here."

He nodded and looked away from her. "I do like it here, but it's too painful to stay. I can't go through every day having to see you make out with other blokes. It hurts too much."

"That was only one time. It didn't even mean anything. It was just to get stupid Riley off of my case. I wasn't planning on you seeing that."

Spike glanced back up at her. "Well, I did. You should be with one of these high school boys, Buffy. It would be selfish of me to not let you have that. I just don't want to have to be around to see it. It's better this way."

Buffy knew that he was right, but couldn't help feeling hurt at the thought of him leaving. "What are you going to do now?"

Spike took in a deep breath. "I don't know yet. I thought about maybe going back to England. I'm sure I can probably get a teaching job up there. I was only supposed to be here temporary, anyway. I didn't plan on staying in California forever. I shouldn't have left London in the first place. That's where I belong. I never really fit in here." He grabbed the box after he finished putting his things inside. "I really wish you the best, love. You were the one thing that made all of this worth it. I'll never forget any of our time together. Goodbye, Buffy."

She was still in shock when Spike walked out of the room, not knowing what to think about what just happened.

* * *

Buffy headed to Faith's house the next day. She was still astonished that Spike decided to leave and wanted to making things right with him before that happened, but she wasn't sure how. She couldn't think about him right now and just wanted to focus on her friend. Buffy hadn't heard anything from Faith in days and was really starting to get concerned about her, so she figured it was about time to pay the other girl a visit. She gave a small smile to Faith's mother when she opened the door and let her into the house, making her way slowly to Faith's room. Buffy knocked on the door and just opened it when there was no response. She took in the sight of the messy room, then noticed Faith lying on her bed. 

"Hey, I was starting to get worried about you. How have you been?"

Faith turned around to stare at Buffy. "I've been better. I can't handle going to school right now."

Buffy nodded and sat down on the bed. "I can understand that."

Faith shook her head, tears once again filling her eyes. She hoped that they would have stopped by now. "No, you don't understand. I…I got rid of the baby. It was too hard to be around anyone."

Buffy gasped and had no idea that her friend would actually go through with an abortion. She knew that Faith was scared about having the baby, but never would have guessed that she could have actually done that. "God, why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't talk to you about that, Buffy. You would have tried to talk me out of it if you knew what I had planned. I didn't have a choice. I told my mom that I got pregnant and she was actually helpful. She knew what it was like to get pregnant at my age. I just didn't tell her who the father was. I have a feeling she wouldn't be all understanding if she knew that. She's the one that took me to get the abortion. She said it was my choice and she would support whatever I decided. I hate myself for what I did, but it was the only way. I just couldn't have the baby. Please, don't hate me."

Buffy moved closer to Faith and took the other girl into her arms, letting her cry against her shoulder. She stroked her dark hair and whispered soothing words into her ear, but she wasn't even sure if Faith heard them at this point. Buffy remained with her for a little while longer, until the brunette finally fell asleep. She then got off of the bed and made her way into the bathroom across the hall. Buffy closed the door once she was inside and rested her head against it, sliding down to sit on the floor. Everything that happened that day was just too much for her to deal with. Spike, Riley, Faith, it was too much to handle. Buffy buried her face in her hands and finally let the tears fall.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Joyce was concerned when Buffy hardly ate any dinner. She just left to her bedroom, without saying anything. Joyce decided that she couldn't handle the silent treatment any longer and went to confront her daughter. She heard crying coming from inside her room and didn't even bother to knock before opening the door. Joyce felt even more concerned when she saw Buffy curled up in a ball on her bed, sobs taking over her body.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she wondered, moving closer to the bed and sitting down next to her.

Buffy wiped at her eyes and looked up at her mother. "Did you ever think about getting rid of me when you were pregnant?"

Joyce was stunned by that question. "Of course not, Buffy. We were very happy about bringing you into the world. I never once regretted it. Why would you ask that?"

Buffy just avoided her gaze and didn't respond.

Joyce was nervous and really hoped that she was prepared to ask her next question. "Are you pregnant?"

She took a deep breath before glancing back up at her mother. "It's not me. I have a friend at school. She recently ended up pregnant by the wrong man and got an abortion. I didn't know anything about it until afterwards. It just has me thinking about a lot. I don't know if I could ever do that to my child. I guess I was just wondering if you thought about it."

Joyce sighed in relief that it wasn't Buffy and grasped her daughter's hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "You were a blessing to us, sweetie. I never could have considered such a thing. You were a miracle to both of us. You see, we were told that I wasn't able to have children. I was heartbroken and decided to adopt. Your father also agreed that it would be the best choice. We wanted a child very much. It was a little after that when I became pregnant with you. We didn't think it could happen and considered it a blessing every day that you were given to us. That hasn't changed, baby. We still think that every time we look at you. You're our perfect little miracle."

Buffy didn't think it was possible to cry anymore that night, but she was wrong. Her mother's words opened up the floodgates once again.

Joyce embraced Buffy and held her close to her chest, stroking her hair. "I know I disappointed you, but I'll do whatever I can to have you look at me with trust again. I miss that, Buffy. I love you very much."

Buffy held her mother tighter, knowing that she needed the comfort right about now.

* * *

"Come on, man. This isn't healthy. You've been in bed for the last two days."

Spike glared up at his friend. "Sod off, I like it here."

Angel rolled his eyes. "How much have you been drinking, Spike? I think you've even gone beyond my usual limit of alcohol. God, what has this girl done to you?"

Spike looked pained for a moment. "She didn't do anything that I didn't deserve. I just want to be left alone."

He shook his head. "I can't do that. There's no telling what you'll do to yourself in my absence."

"I'm not suicidal, you git."

Angel didn't care. "It doesn't matter. I think the last thing you need is to be left alone right now. Come out with me tonight. I can get your mind off of this girl."

Spike grumbled something under his breath and got out of bed. He grabbed his car keys and made his way over to the front door. "I need another drink."

Angel stopped him from leaving the apartment. "Oh, I don't think so. There's no way I'm letting you drive in your condition. I think you've already drank enough to last a lifetime."

Spike pulled his arm out of Angel's grasp. "You're not my bloody mum, Peaches."

"Lucky me, I would hate to have such a bonehead for a son. Now, give me the keys."

Spike handed the keys over without argument and plopped back down on his bed.

Angel sighed and had a feeling that it was going to be a long night. "I don't understand why you're being like this over some high school chick. You were only with her for about a month, man. She's not worth all of this."

Spike gave him a look that could kill. "You don't get to talk about her, got that? She's worth more than you could ever know."

Angel was surprised by his friend's tone, then burst into laughter. "You sound like you're in love with her or something." His laughter quickly died down when Spike remained silent. "Holy shit, you're in love with her? When did you decide this? She gave you a happy a few times and you decide that you would rather go back to being love's bitch?"

Spike stood up and clenched his fists at his side. "I'm warning you, Angel. You don't understand what we had."

"Oh, I think I understand just fine. You've turned into the loser that you were when we first met. Do you remember why you moved here in the first place? To start new and get over that bitch of an ex-girlfriend that ruined your life. Okay, dating Lilah wasn't the best choice either, but at least it wasn't anything serious. She was just good for a screw and you never had any real feelings for her. I'm the one that made you the man you are today, Spike. Haven't you learned that getting serious with women and putting your heart on the line is nothing but trouble? This was just supposed to be meaningless sex for you. I didn't think you would have actually grown real feelings for this chick. Yeah, you told me that you cared for her, but I figured you were just telling me crap. I never knew you were serious and that it would have turned into love. You're delusional if you thought anything could have really happened between you two. I tried to be supportive of your thing with Buffy, but the whole time I was wondering what the hell you were doing. You're not William anymore, Spike. William was a geek that always got picked on and treated like nothing. I helped you change your appearance and gave you the nickname after you told me that you wanted to be someone different. And this is the thanks I get? I will not have you revert back to your old self after all of my hard work. It's over with Buffy. You need to realize that and forget about her. There are lots of women out there just waiting for a guy like you. We'll go out to the Bronze tonight and I'll find a nice girl for you. One that you can use and throw away the next day, no strings attached. That's what you need right now. I'm only looking out for you here."

Spike took in everything Angel said and realized that he was right. He didn't want to be that ponce William again. The bloody pansy would love too easily and let everyone walk all over him. Well, not anymore. Spike was his own man and he wouldn't be love's bitch ever again. It was time to see what else the world had to offer.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Buffy went out to the Bronze with Willow and Xander later that night, even though she wasn't feeling up to it.

"Have you heard from Faith? She hasn't been in school the last few days," Willow said.

Buffy thought of something quick to tell her. "Yeah, she has the flu. You know it's been going around lately. She'll probably be out for a bit."

Willow nodded and seemed to accept that answer.

Xander grooved over to their table. "Come on, ladies. I'm the only one dancing out there."

Willow stood up and joined her boyfriend, but Buffy just shook her head.

"You guys go ahead; I think I'll just sit this one out."

Willow looked concerned. "Are you sure?"

Buffy nodded. "I'm fine, go have fun."

Xander then pulled Willow away from the table and onto the dance floor.

Buffy glanced around the club and never felt so alone. She sighed when a man walked over to the table and gave her a smile.

"Hey, would you like to dance?"

Buffy was about to politely decline, until she looked towards the bar and noticed Spike there. She fumed when she saw that he wasn't alone. He had a grin on his face as he chatted with a slutty blonde. Buffy then turned back to the man and smiled. "Yeah, I would like that." She got up and moved to the dance floor with him, making sure they were where Spike would be able to see them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved seductively to the music.

"My name's Dean, you're a very good dancer."

She smiled at the comment. "I'm Buffy, thanks for noticing."

Dean wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Buffy had no complaints as she turned in his arms, noticing that Spike's attention was now on them. She tried to ignore him and grinded her backside against Dean's crotch.

He groaned at the feel of her and gave back as good as he got.

* * *

Spike was steamed when he saw her dance with some bloke. Two could play that game. He leaned closer to the girl that he was talking to earlier, whispering words into her ear and making her giggle. Harmony Kendall was a complete twit and could hardly hold an intelligent conversation, but she would be enough to make Buffy completely jealous.

* * *

Buffy wanted to claw that chick's eyes out when she saw the woman touch Spike's thigh. She suddenly had enough and quickly turned around, taking Dean by surprise when she started to nibble on his ear.

Dean moaned and just knew that he was going to get laid that night, if her actions were anything to go by.

Buffy pulled away and focused back on Spike, feeling her heart ache at the sight of him now kissing the woman. She didn't realize that anything could hurt so much and glanced back at Dean. "I'm sorry, I can't do this," she explained, then ran out of the club.

* * *

Spike pushed Harmony away when she kissed him. He turned back to the dance floor and noticed that Buffy was gone. He ignored Harmony's protests and got up to go after her, but Angel stopped him before he could get very far.

"Where are you going?"

Spike stared at his soon to be former friend. "I need to find Buffy. I'm not you, Angel. I can't do this," with that said, he left to look for his girl.

* * *

She ended up in the alley behind the Bronze. Buffy didn't feel like going home yet and hated the fact that she was crying again. She didn't even understand why. She was the one that ended things with Spike. He had every right to move on, but she didn't think he would have done it so fast.

"Buffy, are you out here?"

She quickly wiped her eyes when she heard Spike's voice.

He ran over when he spotted her. "I was hoping you were still here."

Buffy was angered at the sight of him, his actions with the other woman coming back to her. "Why? Did you feel the need to rub it in my face some more?"

Spike was stunned, then felt anger of his own. "What about you? That wasn't just dancing you were doing."

"I only agreed to dance with him in the first place because I saw you with her. At least I didn't make out with him," she retorted.

"That bint kissed me. I didn't have much of a warning. I wasn't even really interested in her. I was going to tell her that before I saw you all over him, then I decided to make you hurt."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "You were trying to make me jealous?"

"Well, you were trying to make me jealous. I don't even know why you care, Buffy. You're the one that broke up with me."

She threw her hands up in the air. "That's because I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't think you would have found someone else so soon. What happened to you moving back to England?"

He shrugged. "I decided against it. I remembered how much I hated my life there. I don't care to go back anytime soon."

Buffy looked away from him. "I should probably get home."

Spike wasn't about to let her leave yet. "We're not done talking. I want you to tell me the truth. How much did it hurt to see me with another woman?"

Buffy didn't know what he was trying to do, but didn't feel like answering. "How did it feel to see me with another man?"

Spike shook his head. "I asked you first, Buffy. Admit it; you couldn't stand the thought of me with someone else. You still have feelings for me. This whole thing is pointless. I'm not your teacher anymore, it's not wrong to let yourself love me."

She scoffed. "Who said anything about love? What we had wasn't love. It was just sex. There's a difference between love and lust."

Spike was starting to get frustrated. "You think I don't know that? It wasn't just sex with us and you know it. There were feelings involved. We had a connection from that first night together and you can't deny that. It may not be love for you yet, but it's pretty damn close. If it wasn't, you wouldn't have been so hurt at the thought of me moving on. I know why you ended things, Buffy. It had nothing to do with our age difference, or the fact that I was your teacher. You ended things because it was a way out for you. The relationship was starting to become too real and you were scared. I know you were more upset about Lilah than you let me believe. You pretended that it didn't matter to make things easier on yourself. I tried to forget about you tonight. I tried to go out with someone else and put everything behind me, but I couldn't do it. You're still all I bloody think about. I know I'm not alone in that."

Buffy had more tears in her eyes at his speech and didn't even realize it. "It's not real. I thought my parents had real love, but not even that could last. If they couldn't manage to stay together, then there's no hope for us. I needed to get out before things got anymore complicated. I…I can't be with you."

Spike moved closer to her. "I know you don't mean that. We're not your parents, Buffy. You can trust me. I know I made some mistakes where you're concerned, but that's all over now. You're the only one I want. I can prove to you that what we have is very real. I'll make you feel it."

Buffy was about to respond, but never got the chance as Spike crashed his lips to hers.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"No, we have to stop."

Spike pulled away and tried to catch his breath. "Why do we have to stop?"

"You can't just kiss me and expect for everything to be okay. That's not going to change my mind."

He grinned and stepped closer to her. "I'm not done convincing you yet. We were always so great together, Buffy. You can't deny that."

"Things are different now. I'm not saying it can never happen again. I just need time right now. I have too much going on in my life. I don't need you to complicate things more," she explained.

"These last few days without you have practically killed me. God, you really have no idea what you do to me, do you? I'm not about to leave you alone now." He reached out and touched her cheek. "You mean a lot to me, Buffy. I need you."

Buffy didn't think much about what he said. She just pounced and attacked his mouth with hers.

Spike was taken by surprise, but eagerly returned the kiss. He moved further into the alley and pushed her against the wall, where no one was likely to see them.

Buffy removed her lips from his mouth and started to trail them down his neck, nibbling along the way.

Spike moaned and lost what little control he had left. He ripped her shirt open and was relieved to see that she wasn't wearing a bra.

Buffy managed to get his pants unzipped.

Spike pulled away at the feel of her hands on him, then met her mouth again in a fiery kiss.

Buffy took a deep breath when he removed his lips. "No more torture, Spike. I want you in me," she panted.

Spike shook his head. "Not yet. We're going to do this, but you have to know that it's more than just screwing. I need you to tell me you know that before this continues."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "What would you call it, then?" she wondered.

"I would call it making love. That's what we've been doing all along. Well, at least I was."

Buffy laughed. "It's not making love if you're about to take me up against an alley wall. That sounds more like screwing to me."

Spike shook his head. He had to make her understand. "It doesn't matter where you are, Buffy. It's still making love. I need you to know that. We can go to my place if you need an actual bed. I don't care where we go."

"No, we're doing this now. I'll probably think too much if we wait to get to your place and change my mind. Fine, it's making love. I don't care what you want to call it. I just need you inside me now," she said, then guided him to her entrance and took him in.

All rational thought left Spike's mind as he was once again buried inside of her. He pushed her against the wall and made his thrusts faster, but careful not to hurt her.

"Harder, Spike. I can take it."

He didn't feel like commenting about that and just did as she said.

Buffy screamed out her release a moment later and held him tighter.

Spike was breathing heavily against her ear, pulling out of her after a few seconds.

She lightly pushed him away and started to fix herself up, giving him an almost sad look. "I should really get home now."

He was confused and wondered if she regretted what they did, but didn't get the chance to ask.

"I'll see you around," she said and headed out of the alley, without sparing him another glance.

Spike didn't understand what went wrong. He thought they were making better progress. No matter how long it took, he would make her realize exactly what they were doing. She couldn't avoid him forever.

* * *

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

Faith shrugged. "You know me, B. Five by five," she commented.

Buffy was relieved to hear that. "Do you think you'll be able to come back to school soon? I really miss having you around."

"I don't know. It's hard to face anyone right now. I just know the truth is bound to get out. Does Robin look miserable?"

Buffy thought about it. "Actually, he caught some guy smoking in the bathroom and didn't even give him detention. He would usually jump at the chance, but he just seemed distracted."

Faith nodded. "Good, he should be. I don't know what I was thinking when I got involved with him. Now that I think back on everything, it wasn't even worth it. Take it from me, Buffy. Older men are not the way to go."

Buffy looked away from her friend's gaze. "Yeah, I know."

Faith then realized what she said. "Well, I was mainly talking about me. It works for you. And Spike's not a teacher anymore, right?"

She shook her head. "No, and that makes me feel even guiltier. He loved being a teacher, until I came along and ruined everything."

"I'm sure he doesn't think that you ruined anything. You've been happier since he came into the picture. You were so lost after what happened with Parker, but I could see a complete change in you with Spike. You can't base everything on one bad relationship, B. Parker was a loser and not worth even thinking about, but Spike is still here. From what you told me, he doesn't seem to be one that would just leave."

Buffy sighed. "That's what has me worried. We've only been together for a few weeks and he's already willing to throw everything away for me. He gave up teaching and I know how much that meant to him. It was so much easier just thinking that everything was only about sex. It's better when feelings don't get in the way, but then he had to go and call it making love. I'm even more confused than I was. I figured that ending things with him was the right thing to do, but now I don't know. A part of me wishes that I never went up to him in the Bronze that first night."

Faith glanced down at her bedspread. "Well, I suppose you have me to blame for that. I probably shouldn't have pressured you when you weren't ready. It was about a year since your whole thing with Parker and you've hardly let anyone in since then. I just wanted to give you a little push."

"I don't blame you, Faith. I think I needed that push. Besides, I only said a part of me wishes that. There's another part of me that thinks it was the best choice I ever made. Now, I just have to find out which part is bigger."


	18. Chapter 18

Okay, I guess no one is interested in this anymore. I hardly got anything for the last chapter and the one before that, and I believe the e-mail alerts are working better now. I still have about eight chapters left of this story and I would really appreciate it if you guys could tell me what you think, whether it be good or bad. I love any comments. Well, hope you like this chapter!

**Chapter 18**

"Ms. Summers, the principal would like to see you now."

Buffy was surprised as she looked up at her English teacher, who just received a note from another student. She didn't know what Principal Wood could possibly want with her, but the snickers from her other classmates had them thinking that she was in trouble. She took a deep breath and stood up, making her way out of the room and to the principal's office. Buffy didn't get far when she was suddenly pulled into a nearby janitor's closet. It was dark and cramped inside there, but she was able to see who grabbed her. "Spike, what the hell are you doing?"

He smiled. "What does it look like? I needed to talk to you and I couldn't wait for school to end."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "So, the principal doesn't want to see me?" she wondered, actually relieved that it was him instead.

Spike shook his head. "Not that I know of, I couldn't think of another excuse to get you out of class."

"Why are we in the janitor's closet? You are sadly mistaken if you think I'm going to have sex with you in here."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not why I brought you in here. I just wanted some privacy. I'm actually here to ask you out for this Saturday."

Buffy was confused. "You mean like a real date?"

"Yeah, you've never been on a date before?"

She nodded. "I have, I just wasn't expecting for you to ask me out. What's the catch?"

Spike didn't know why she couldn't just accept his offer. She had to question everything. "There's no catch, I just want to take you out. I'm assuming you wouldn't want me to pick you up at your house, so we can meet at my apartment around seven. I'll handle everything else."

Buffy thought it over and then nodded. "Okay, I'll be there."

He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "I guarantee you won't regret it. I should let you get back to class now. I'll see you Saturday night."

Buffy nodded again and opened the closet door. "I'm surprised that you didn't even try to have sex with me in here. I think you're slipping, but I'll see you on Saturday," she said, then headed out of the closet and back to class.

Spike watched her go with a sigh. He would somehow have to prove to her that he wanted more than just sex.

* * *

Buffy glanced around at the fancy french restaurant that Spike took her to. She had lived in Sunnydale mostly all of her life and never knew about it. She looked down at her menu and noticed that it was pretty much all in french.

"You may have to order for me. My french is a little rusty."

Spike had a feeling about what she would like. He smiled at the waiter that showed up and ordered for both of them, speaking in perfect french.

Buffy knew that french was the language of love, but he made it incredibly sexy. It wouldn't be long before she lost all control and pounced on him right there, the hell with having an audience. "So, what's the plan? Are we supposed to sneak away for a quickie in the bathroom or something? I have to say, the thought of that actually excites me."

Spike shook his head. "This isn't about sex, Buffy. Yes, the idea of that does appeal to me, but not what I had in mind. I just wanted to show you a nice evening to prove to you that I can be boyfriend material. I'm not just with you for a quickie, or whatever you want to call it. I want everything with you. It will only be a matter of time until you realize that you want the same thing with me."

Buffy was stunned into silence. She wasn't expecting that. "Tell me something, Spike. What was it that you had with Lilah? It didn't seem like it was much of a relationship. You hardly even liked her from what you told me. So, why exactly did you stay with her for so long? It was just for sex, right? I may not know much about your life in England, but I can tell that you're not really the kind of guy to settle for one person. I mean, you were sleeping with me when you were still with her. She was probably just a back up for when you got tired of me, or maybe I was the back up. I don't really know, but why would you possibly want a real relationship now if you never wanted that before? What makes me so different?"

Spike knew that she would still throw Lilah in his face. She wasn't likely to forget anytime soon, but he would do all that he could to prove that she was the only one he wanted. "I never loved Lilah. I couldn't see myself having a real future with her. I love you, Buffy. That's what makes you so different."

She shook her head. "You don't love me, you can't. You hardly even know me."

"I know all that I need to know. Hell, I probably know you better than you know yourself. I do love you, Buffy. You can fight it all you want, but that's not likely to ever change. Believe me; I would not be trying this hard for someone that I didn't love. I got screwed over a lot in the past and yeah, I didn't want to put my heart on the line again, but you completely took me by surprise. From the first night we met, I knew I was lost." He reached across the table and took her hand in his, relieved that she didn't pull away. "I don't care how long it takes, but I'm not about to give up on you. You know that what I'm telling you is the truth; you're just scared to let yourself love me. I'm not sure about what happened in your past, but I know that you were involved in a bad relationship. I'll be here if you ever decide to talk to me about it. There's something you need to know about me, Buffy. When I love someone as much as I love you, there's no getting rid of me. You're it for me, baby. You're the one."

Buffy didn't even realize that she was crying during his speech. She just pulled her hand out of his when their food finally arrived, not speaking up until the waiter left. "I really hate when you say stuff like that. You make it so much harder to stay away. I do believe you, Spike. I just need some time to think about everything. It's all happening so fast and I'm not used to any of it. My last relationship was not exactly the stuff that dreams are made of. I told myself that I was over it, but I don't think I am. I just need a little breathing room right now. Can you give me that?"

Spike nodded after a moment, figuring that was the best he would get out of her. "Yeah, take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

Buffy graced him with a small smile and really believed that. It gave her some hope.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

They sat in awkward silence at the Bronze later that night, neither knowing what to say.

Spike couldn't take it for much longer. "Would you like to dance? If your performance the other day was anything to go by, you're pretty good." He cursed himself for saying something that might offend her, but she only nodded.

Buffy stood up and made her way onto the dance floor, knowing that Spike would follow her.

They wrapped their arms around each other once out there and moved slowly to the song that was playing.

Spike held her tighter, wanting the moment to last.

They were too lost in their own world to notice that the song ended.

Buffy pulled away and gazed into his eyes, but was abruptly ripped out of her thoughts.

"Summers? Well, isn't this a surprise?"

She froze at the sound of the familiar voice and turned to see Parker standing behind her. "Yeah, but I can't say it's a very pleasant one."

He only smiled. "I see you haven't changed. You're still a bitch."

Spike took a step forward and wanted to teach him some manners for that, but Buffy held him back.

"What are you doing here? Looking for your new flavor of the week?"

Parker shrugged. "A man has needs, but I think I found something better. When you're done with the Billy Idol wannabe, why don't you meet me outside? I can show you a good time."

Spike saw red, but would let Buffy handle it.

"I'm just wondering, Parker. Do I have desperate and delusional written all over my face? It would be a cold day in Hell before I ever let you touch me again."

It was then that Spike realized this was the ex Buffy mentioned. He hated the bloke even more now.

Parker's smile quickly faded at that remark. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. I get better pleasure from my hand than I ever did with you." He then turned to Spike. "I wouldn't waste your time with her. She's not even worth it."

Spike was about to tell Parker exactly what he thought about his little comment, but another voice stopped him.

"Parker Abrams, I see you're still talking about shit that you don't understand."

Spike was surprised when Angel showed up, but didn't miss the look of fear that suddenly appeared on Parker's face.

"Angelus, I was just chatting with an old girlfriend. There's no harm in that."

He wasn't pleased and got in Parker's face. "It's Angel now, boy. It would be best for you to remember that. Now, why don't you leave my friend and his girl alone? I'm sure there are other people around here that you can harass, but don't let me see it again. All it would take is one phone call to my old man, and I know you don't want that to happen. Do we understand each other?"

Parker's eyes widened and he nodded, then took off without even bothering to give them another glance.

Spike finally spoke after a moment. "How the hell do you know that git, Angel?"

He shrugged. "Abrams works for my father. It's always fun to torment the little bastard."

Spike smiled and grasped Buffy's hand in hers, giving it a squeeze to offer her some comfort. He could tell that she was hurting from that wanker's words.

Angel noticed the gesture and took a deep breath. "So, you must be Buffy. Spike talks about you a lot."

Buffy nodded and gave him a small smile. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you."

Spike was worried that Angel would say something in front of Buffy to make things worse, but he only took her other hand in his and placed a kiss on the back of it.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said, letting her hand go.

Buffy blushed and looked away.

Spike was still in shock that Angel seemed to act civil towards her. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Angel nodded and followed after Spike to a more secluded area.

Buffy had no idea what that was about, but just waited for them to return.

* * *

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Peaches? This better not be some trick of yours. You made your feelings about Buffy perfectly clear." 

Angel actually felt ashamed for the things that he said. It wasn't a feeling that he was used to. "That was before I met her. She seems like a sweet girl. I realized that I was a bit hard on you before. I keep forgetting that you're different and I shouldn't continue to try and turn you into me. You're a good man, Spike. You deserve to find real love. I hope that I'll be lucky enough to have that one day."

Spike's jaw practically dropped. He never would have expected Angel to talk about finding love. "Thanks, that means a lot. I don't want you to think I'm not grateful for all that you've done for me. I'm just a one woman man; I've always been that way. It's not going to change, no matter how many chits have screwed me over in the past. Buffy is really amazing. I love her and I'm going to keep convincing her of that. I don't know if she can accept it yet, but she will. I just hope that wanker showing up didn't ruin any chance I might have had."

Angel shook his head. "I don't think you have to worry about him. I saw the way that girl was looking at you. If it's not love yet, it won't be long before it is."

Spike sighed in relief. "That's what I'm hoping for. Well, I should get back to her now. Thanks again, Angel."

He nodded and watched his friend walk away, knowing that everything would work out for him.

* * *

Spike found Buffy in the same place that he left her and smiled. 

"Hey, you ready to get out of here?"

"I'm so ready," she replied.

He took her hand and led her out of the club, not speaking up until they got outside. "So, are you going to tell me about what happened between you and Parker?"

Buffy knew that he was bound to ask that and decided to tell him the truth. "He was just a mistake. I got involved with Parker when I was a sophomore. He was a grade higher and one of the most popular guys in school. I was nowhere near popular and extremely flattered when he started to pay attention to me. We went out for a couple of months before I realized that I loved him. Well, I thought I did. He was my everything back then, but I was never his. I decided that I was ready for him to be my first, and of course Parker was all for it. His parents were out of town and we went back to his house. It was very nice. He made me feel so special and loved, but it was all an act. He completely changed after that. I would see him at school flirting with these older girls and when I confronted him about it, he just laughed in my face. He told me that it was fun, but he wanted more. He was all about how I was a nice kid, but couldn't do anything for him. That was the last time we really talked, until now. He graduated last year and I was hoping that I would never have to see him again. I know I'm not that same naive girl anymore, but whenever I'm around him, I feel like I am. All of my insecurities come back and I feel that I'll never be good enough for anyone." She felt tears in her eyes and quickly wiped them away.

Spike could feel his heart breaking a little at the pain on her face. It now made more sense of why she was afraid to let herself love him. No matter what happened, he wasn't going to let her go. Spike would show Buffy just how much she meant to him.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"These were on the doorstep for you."

Buffy looked up at her mother to see the bouquet of white roses that she was holding.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Joyce wondered.

Buffy just shook her head and took the flowers from her. "Not really."

Joyce wasn't having it. "Buffy Anne Summers," she said sternly.

Buffy groaned and placed the flowers in a vase that she found in the kitchen. "Do you have to middle name me? It's nothing, just some guy that I've been seeing," she mumbled.

Joyce raised her eyebrows. "When were you planning on telling me about this?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'm telling you now."

"I would like to meet him. I'm sure your father would, too."

Her eyes widened. "I don't think that would be a very good idea. Spike's not really much of a people person." Buffy realized that was the wrong thing to say when she noticed the worried expression on her mother's face.

"His name is Spike? He better not be in a gang, young lady."

Buffy would have laughed, but figured that wouldn't be a very smart thing to do at the moment. "He's not in a gang, Mom. His real name is William; he just chooses to go by Spike. I never cared to ask where it came from."

Joyce felt a little relieved by that. "I still want to meet him. There has to be a reason of why you felt that you had to hide your relationship from us. You should invite him over for dinner on Friday night. Your father was already planning on coming over then, so it would be the perfect time."

"I really don't know about that. I didn't want to tell you because there never seemed to be a good time. Not with what's been going on here. I just don't think I'm ready for you guys to meet him yet. I doubt I'll ever be ready."

Joyce didn't understand. "We do have a right to meet the boy that is involved with our daughter. Now is as good a time as any. Did you meet him in one of your classes?"

Buffy knew the truth would have to come out, but she didn't think that her mother needed to know about everything. "Not exactly, he doesn't really go to Sunnydale High."

"Oh, is he in college? I don't think it's the best idea for you to get involved with a college man, but you still didn't have to hide it from us."

Buffy shook her head. "He's not in college."

Joyce was even more confused now, but dreaded asking her next question. "How old is he?"

Buffy took a deep breath and just decided to get it over with. "He's twenty-seven." She expected the shock of surprise that was now on her mother's face, but was astounded that she didn't start yelling.

Joyce placed her hand over her heart. "I think I need a drink," she said and went to do just that.

Buffy followed after her. "It's not that bad, Mom."

Joyce gave a short laugh. "Not that bad? He's almost ten years older than you, Buffy. How did you think I would react? Oh, your father will just love this."

"I'm not a little kid anymore, Mom. I'm eighteen-years-old and I should be allowed to date who I want."

Joyce took a long sip of her Scotch and stared at Buffy. "You're still my little girl. Does this man have a problem dating someone his own age?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he doesn't care about that, either. The age thing never bothered us. He's not a bad guy, Mom. You would realize that if you met him."

"So, does that mean you'll invite him over then?"

Buffy knew that she walked right into that one, but didn't care anymore. "Fine, I'll see if he can come over on Friday, but I don't want you to make a big deal."

Joyce nodded and graced her daughter with a small smile. "I can't wait to meet him."

* * *

"You want me to meet the parents?"

Buffy looked up at Spike from her position next to him on the bed.

They were both fully clothed and just spent time talking in his apartment.

"It wasn't my idea. I had to come clean to my mom after she spotted the roses that you left at the front door. Thanks so much for that."

He shrugged. "I was hoping you would have seen them first. Sorry, I just wanted to do something nice."

Buffy felt bad for her comment. "They were nice, Spike. I really did appreciate it. I'm just nervous about them meeting you. I didn't mention the fact that you used to be my teacher. I think just knowing how old you are is bad enough."

Spike had to agree. "It'll be okay, love. I knew that I was bound to meet them eventually. It's just happening sooner than we expected."

Buffy nodded and snuggled up closer to him. "I hope they like you."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "What's not to like?"

* * *

The introductions could not have been more awkward when Spike showed up for dinner that Friday night.

They were all sitting around the dinner table in silence, no one sure what to say to start a conversation.

Joyce decided to be the first one to speak up. "So, where did you two meet?"

At least Buffy could tell the truth about that. "We met at the Bronze."

Joyce seemed to accept that answer, but was surprised by Hank's next question.

"You a sports fan, Spike?"

The look on his face proved that he was also shocked, but just nodded. "Yeah, I'm a big fan of Manchester United."

Hank nodded as well. "That's a good answer."

Spike was relieved that he seemed to say the right thing.

Buffy quickly got up to feel her father's forehead.

"What are you doing?" he wondered.

"I just wanted to see if you were feeling okay. The first time you say something and that's the best you can come up with?"

Hank shrugged. "What am I supposed to say?"

Buffy pulled her hand away. "I figured you would have a lot to say. Are you a pod person?"

Hank laughed and shook his head. "I think you're safe. William seems like a reasonable man. You're not a child anymore, Buffy. I'm sure you're quite capable of making your own decisions."

Buffy was beyond shocked at this point. "Who are you and what have you done with my father?"

He rolled his eyes. "Why are you so surprised? It's not that hard to believe."

"I know you, Dad. You had a problem with Billy in the eighth grade. I only invited him over to study and you scared him away. He never spoke to me again after that."

Hank smiled at the memory. "I had my reasons. I never did like that kid."

Buffy pressed a kiss to her father's cheek. "Thank you, Daddy."

He patted her shoulder. "Anytime, baby. Now, let's continue this wonderful meal that Joyce has prepared."

Buffy sat back down in her seat next to Spike, giving his hand a squeeze under the table. She was glad that the dinner wasn't a complete disaster. She felt even happier at the looks that her parents were giving to each other. Buffy just knew that it was only a matter of time until they got back together.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Spike was taken by surprise when Buffy pounced on him after they arrived back at his apartment. He returned the kiss just as passionately, then gently pushed her away.

"How is this taking things slow?" he wondered.

"The hell with that. I need you now, Spike."

He wasn't one that needed to be told twice and picked her up, carrying her over to his bed.

Buffy laughed when Spike threw her on the mattress. She could tell that he wanted it just as much.

He quickly removed his clothing and crawled over to her. "I think someone has too many clothes on."

She smirked and jumped off of the bed.

Spike pouted when she moved away from him.

Buffy only gave him a seductive look. "I have a better idea. Just lie down and get comfortable."

He had no problem with her taking control and did as she said.

Buffy then moved over to his dresser drawer to see if he had anything that she could use inside. She raised her eyebrows at the sight of handcuffs and held them up for him to see.

His eyes widened. "Uh, I can explain that."

She shook her head. "I really don't wanna know. What you and Lilah did was your own business."

"Lilah never knew about those. They belong to Angel. He thought I could use them, but I never really did."

Buffy sighed in relief. "Well, there's a first time for everything."

Spike was confused, until Buffy snapped the cuffs on his wrists and chained him to the bed post. "There better be a key for these," he warned.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I guess you really haven't used them before. They're just trick handcuffs, I can get these off."

He raised his eyebrows. "Used any before, have you?"

Buffy blushed under his stare. "You have to promise not to make fun of me if I tell you."

Spike nodded and would have crossed his heart, but he couldn't exactly move his hands at the moment.

"Okay, my embarrassing secret is that I wanted to be a magician when I was younger. I had the trick handcuffs, the hat that you would use to pull a rabbit out of it, the whole nine yards. It's not something I like to talk about. I was such a geek back then. You better take that to your grave, mister."

Spike gave her a soft smile. "I think it sounds adorable. And if you haven't noticed, geeks are hot."

Buffy slapped him lightly on the chest, but felt flattered by that. "You are so going to get rewarded now." She stood at the foot of the bed and slowly unbuttoned her blouse, pulling it off to reveal her lacy bra underneath.

Spike felt his breath catch in his throat and really had an urge to touch her, but he just wanted to enjoy the show.

Buffy threw her shirt to the floor and then removed her skirt just as slowly, so she was soon in nothing but her lingerie. She moved over to the bed and got on top of him, pressing a firm kiss to his lips.

Spike pulled at the cuffs and was starting to get frustrated. "Buffy, love, you're killing me here. I need to touch you." She giggled against his neck and the feel of her warm breath was enough to completely turn him on.

She then spent time licking his neck and chest, taking a nipple into her mouth.

Spike threw his head back in ecstasy. "Bloody hell, woman! You're a gift from the Gods is what you are."

Buffy was pleased by his reaction and continued her ministrations. She pulled away after a moment to see the blissful look on his face. "Satisfied?"

Spike was breathing heavily as he tried to answer her. "You have no bloody idea how much."

Buffy smiled and went to remove the cuffs, figuring that he had enough torture.

The second his hands were free, he grabbed her and changed their positions.

Buffy was looking up at a very aroused man, feeling excited at the thought of what he had planned for her.

"It's my turn now," he stated and attacked her mouth in a hard kiss, nibbling on her bottom lip. It didn't take him long to remove her bra and panties. Spike then grew impatient and buried himself inside of her, slowly moving in and out.

Buffy moaned at the wonderful invasion and trailed her hands down his back. "God, yes. Make love to me, Spike. Don't ever stop."

Spike was stunned that she finally called it making love, but only smiled and did just that. He would never stop. "That's it, baby. You like what I do to you?"

She nodded and found that words were hard to manage at the moment.

"Love you so much, Buffy. Gonna love you forever."

Buffy wasn't able to respond to that as she was brought to release. She bit into his neck to muffle her screams, which was enough to bring Spike right along with her.

They both lay side by side a moment later, trying to catch their breath.

Spike turned to look at her. "You are so incredible. Everything you do, I'll never be able to get enough."

Buffy smiled and rested her head against his chest. "I feel the same way. I never expected any of this, Spike. It was only supposed to be one night, but I'm so glad that I saw you at school. I couldn't imagine living the rest of my life without this feeling."

Spike felt tears in his eyes, but held them back. He never believed in soul mates before, but was positive that he finally found his. She still didn't say that she loved him back, but knew that she felt it. That was all he needed right now. Spike pressed a kiss to the top of her head and got more comfortable, noticing that Buffy was already passed out. It wasn't long before he followed her in slumber.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

"Keep your eyes closed, pet."

Buffy rolled her eyes instead, but he couldn't exactly see it. "Spike, I'm wearing a blindfold. What difference does it make if my eyes are closed or not?"

He let out a breath. "Just humor me here."

Buffy decided to give him a break and kept her eyes shut as he led her to wherever they were going. "Where are you taking me, anyway? It better not be over a cliff."

Spike chuckled. "You don't have to worry about that. I told you it was a surprise, hence the blindfold."

"Yeah, and I told you that I hate surprises. I don't like not knowing where I'm headed."

He suddenly stopped and turned to face her. "Don't get your knickers in a twist. We're here."

Buffy was relieved when he finally removed the blindfold, taking in her surroundings to notice that they were at the beach. It was always her favorite spot, especially at night when no one was likely to be there. She glanced down and knew that the beach wasn't the whole surprise. Laid out on a blanket in the sand was a picnic prepared for two. She looked back up at him. "You did all of this?"

He nodded and grabbed her hand, settling down on the blanket. "Anyone can have a picnic in the park. I know how much you love the ocean, so I decided on a picnic at the beach. You can really see the stars clearly from here."

Buffy stared up at the sky and realized that he was right. It was a very beautiful sight.

"I wanted to show you that I can be a decent boyfriend. I wanted to prove to you once again that I'm not only about sex. I'm not like Parker, Buffy. I hate blokes like that; they give all of us a bad name. You're a goddess and you deserve to be treated like one. That's exactly what I'm going to do."

Buffy felt touched. "Spike, you didn't have to go through so much trouble. You're already my boyfriend, so you didn't have to prove anything. I know you're about more than just sex. I see that now, but this is very sweet. I may just have to reward you later," she finished with a wink.

Spike grinned. "I made all of your favorites. We'll eat first and then move on to dessert."

She raised her eyebrows. "And what would that be?"

He leaned closer to her. "How about making love on the beach? That's something new we can try."

Buffy loved that idea and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, no more words needed to be said.

* * *

"There is no way."

Spike pouted. "Why not? You said you would."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "I said that making love on the beach sounded like a good idea. You're talking about doing it in the water. It's freezing in there and we just ate, we would need to wait at least a half an hour."

Spike rolled his eyes at her excuses. "You're really no fun, Summers. Come on, I promise you won't regret it. I can always warm you up afterwards," he claimed with a smirk.

Buffy had an urge to wipe it off of his face. "I'm not doing it."

Spike shrugged and stood up, taking off his clothes in the process. "I'll just have to go all by my lonesome then."

"You're not seriously considering this?"

Spike removed the last of his clothes. "Does this look serious to you? You can feel free to join me if you like, but I'm going for a swim."

Buffy was shocked as she watched Spike run towards the ocean and dive in. She couldn't believe that he actually did it. He was just full of surprises. It was about a minute later and he still hadn't come up for air. Buffy was starting to get worried and headed over to the water, peering in to see if she could see him. "Spike, where the hell are you? I'm so not going in after you." There was still no sign of him and she was close to panicking. With lightning speed, she yanked her clothing off and dived in after him. Buffy glanced around at the dark water and could only see the waves, no sight of Spike. She let out a scream when something grabbed her leg, only to be met by the smirking face of her boyfriend. Buffy was furious now and started to pound him on the chest. "You jerk! You scared the crap out of me. I thought you drowned or something. Don't do that to me again."

Spike wrapped his arms around her and held the shivering girl to his chest. "Didn't mean to scare you, love. I just wanted to get you in here. See, it's not so bad."

Buffy pulled away to look at him. "You're truly evil, I'm freezing."

"I know what could warm you up."

Buffy didn't know what he meant, until she felt his finger trace her thigh. She clutched at his shoulders. "Spike, we can't."

He wasn't about to accept that. "Oh, I think we can. We're the only ones here, Buffy. There's nothing to worry about. Just let yourself go, I'll catch you."

She gave up after a moment and nodded.

Spike graced her with a genuine smile now. "That's my girl."

Buffy gazed deep into his eyes. "Always," she whispered.

Spike felt his heart swell at just that one word. He brushed some strands of wet hair out of her face and touched his lips to hers. The kiss started out soft, then grew more passionate. Spike held her tighter to keep her from falling further into the water.

Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck.

Spike moved his hand under the water and in one swift move, buried himself inside of her.

Buffy gasped at the penetration, but didn't release his lips.

He moved slowly inside of her as the waves crashed into them, but they were too lost in each other to notice.

Buffy finally broke the kiss to take in a deep breath.

Spike used that to his advantage and started to trail his lips down her neck, licking the salty water as he went.

"God, Spike," she panted.

"You feel so bloody good," he replied. "Never get enough. You're it for me, baby. I love you so much."

Buffy threw her head back to gaze up at the stars as she reached her release. Most people would see metaphorical stars when they've experienced such intense pleasure, but now she could say that hers were real.

Spike came right behind her, kissing her wet hair and every inch of her face that he could. "God, I love you."

Buffy held him closer and felt tears in her eyes. She wanted so much to say the words in return, but they wouldn't come out. No matter how much she felt it. Buffy loved Spike with everything that she had, but was still too afraid to voice her feelings. She saw what could happen when you loved someone. Her parents were one example. She loved Parker, but it was never enough for him. He ended up walking away and she didn't want that to happen with Spike. Buffy would be devastated if he decided to leave her. Looking into his eyes, she knew that he wasn't one that would just walk away. The more time she spent with him, the easier it was getting to admit that she loved him. She would tell him when the time was right.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Lilah Morgan was steamed. She confessed to Lindsey about being pregnant with his child and he didn't even care. It wasn't like she was asking for him to spend the rest of his life with her. She could care less about the prick, but she wanted him to help support their child. That didn't seem likely to happen. He wouldn't even believe the baby was his unless he also saw the paternity test. There was only one option left. She wasn't about to deal with this kid on her own, so she would do whatever it took to get Spike back. Yes, he never really cared for her, but he was the only decent man that she had ever been with. Maybe if she agreed to change, he would decide to take her back. Lilah cringed at that last thought, not believing how desperate she sounded.

"Come on, love. You can hardly even tell."

Lilah knew that voice and turned to see Spike walking down the street, with his hand holding that of a young blonde.

"I think my parents would be able to tell that my hair was wet. How would I explain this to them?"

Spike smirked. "Well, you'll just have to stay with me tonight. I'm sure your friend could cover for you again."

Lilah was stunned at the conversation she overheard, even more stunned when Spike lowered his head to kiss the girl. Getting a closer glimpse, Lilah was able to recognize her as the girl that she saw in Spike's classroom. Didn't he say she was a student? That was the last straw as she marched over to them. She would not lose him to some brat. "What the hell is this?"

Spike instantly jerked away from Buffy at the presence of Lilah. "What are you doing here?"

Lilah crossed her arms over her chest. "I was headed to your apartment to talk, but caught your little show instead. What is this, Spike? You were cheating on me with some high school girl? Wasn't she in one of your classes? Oh, you are completely screwed. I could ruin you for this; you'll never be able to get another teaching job again."

Spike's eyes widened and he gazed at Buffy, who looked just as surprised. "I'll be right back, baby." He then grabbed Lilah's arm and pulled her away, so they were out of earshot.

She snatched her arm out of his grasp. "You call her baby? That's what you always called me after we slept together. Does she get the same treatment? Do you call her all of the same pet names that you used on me after you screw her?"

"Keep your bloody voice down, Lilah. Why are you doing this? I thought that we left things on somewhat good terms. You agreed with me that we weren't good for each other. You're having another man's child, for crying out loud."

Lilah scowled at him. "That was before he decided to dump me like yesterday's garbage. He doesn't want anything to do with the baby. I was hoping we could have another chance."

Spike shook his head. "That's not going to happen. I wouldn't get back with you even if I wasn't with Buffy."

She rolled her eyes. "What kind of name is Buffy, anyway? Is she a cheerleader or something? I can't believe you're dating someone in high school. You've really hit an all time low."

Spike clenched his fists at his side. He had to keep reminding himself that it was technically wrong to hit a woman. "Buffy's an adult, all right? She's not illegal, so there's really no point to this. Her parents already know about us and gave their blessing, there's nothing you can do."

Lilah smiled. "She was still your student, Spike. I have a feeling her parents don't know about that little detail. If I went to the school board with this, I guarantee they would find something wrong with it. You'll be banned from ever getting a teaching job again. I don't just mean in Sunnydale. I mean all of California and possibly England, too. I work at Wolfram and Hart, honey. I have connections everywhere."

Spike hated himself for what he was about to do, but didn't see any other options. "Please, Lilah. They don't need to know about this. I love teaching and was hoping to get a job at the local Elementary school. Don't take that away from me," he pleaded.

A part of Lilah felt guilty, but she quickly shook it away. "Fine, but I have one condition."

Spike nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I won't say anything if you let the girl go. We get back together and you help me raise this kid, then you can get a job anywhere you like. I'll even recommend you to some of the best schools."

Spike didn't know what to think about her suggestion. He glanced back at Buffy to see that she was still standing in the same place, looking so innocent and beautiful. Just like she was when they first met. He turned away from her and stared into the cold eyes of his ex-girlfriend. "No, I can't do it. You can ruin me if you like, Lilah. I don't have to teach, there are other jobs out there that I could probably qualify for. I was miserable with you and I don't care to go back to that. The child you're carrying is not my responsibility. I'm sorry that Lindsey won't help you, but that's something you need to take up with him. We're done and I want no part of you in my life anymore. I'm in love with Buffy."

Lilah was stunned into silence. She couldn't believe that he turned down her offer, or that he was actually in love with the teenager. She didn't think that he was capable of it, but then again, she didn't exactly know a lot about his past. They hardly knew anything about each other. They jumped right into bed when they first met and their whole relationship, if you could even call it that was based on nothing but sex since then. "Well, I guess you've made up your mind."

"I'm sorry that it's not what you want to hear. Being with Buffy is the best feeling that I've ever had. I wouldn't give her up for anything in the world."

Lilah could tell how sincere he was and knew that nothing she did could change that. She nodded after a moment and then made her way over to Buffy.

Spike watched in confusion as Lilah whispered something in her ear, then just walked away. He headed in her direction once Lilah was gone. "What did she say to you?" he wondered in a panic.

Buffy shrugged. "She told me to take care of you."

Spike's jaw practically dropped.

"I was surprised by that, too. I guess that means everything's okay?"

Spike still couldn't believe it and took her hand in his, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "I'm pretty sure we won't have to worry about her again, love. Let's get out of here; I'm in the mood for a hot shower."

Buffy smiled. "I decided to stay with you tonight, so I guess you won't be showering alone."

Spike quickly pulled her away at that. He was suddenly in a hurry to get home.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Love, can I come in now?" Spike called through his bathroom door.

"I'm getting it nice and warm," Buffy responded back.

"Why can't you do that with me in there? It's bloody torture waiting on the other side. I need to see you."

The door was suddenly pushed open by a smiling Buffy.

Spike gulped at the sight of her in all her naked glory.

"I'm ready for you now," she said seductively.

His clothes were off in an instant, attacking her mouth in a passionate kiss and kicking the door shut. Spike picked Buffy up and carried her into the shower, never removing his lips from hers.

Buffy had to eventually pull away to breathe, throwing her head back when the warm water hit her.

Spike got in after her and couldn't resist nibbling her exposed throat, licking the water off of her skin.

"We're in here to get clean," she panted.

Spike smiled against her neck. "I like my idea of clean a whole lot better. Wrap your legs around me, baby."

Buffy couldn't do anything except obey.

Spike lifted her up when her legs found his waist. He held her to him and plunged his tongue into her mouth, lightly sucking on her bottom lip. It wasn't long before Spike found himself buried inside of her again.

Buffy moaned into his mouth, moving up and down to keep up with his rhythm.

Spike broke the kiss and roared as he reached his release a moment later, slamming his fist into the wall.

Buffy came down from her high and tried to get her breathing under control. "I definitely don't feel clean."

He chuckled. "We're not even close to being finished."

* * *

Buffy frowned when she looked down at her hands. "I'm all pruny," she said with a pout. "Did we have to stay in there so long?"

Spike glanced at her from his spot on the bed. "It's not my fault it took so long to get you clean," he replied with a wink.

"Please, it was so your fault. You and your horny self. You can be such a pig sometimes."

He grinned. "Oink oink, baby."

Buffy sent him a glare and got more comfortable beside him. "What are we watching?" she wondered, resting her head against his chest and staring at the television screen.

"Some bloody sitcom. It's a shame _Passions_ isn't on at this time. That's quality entertainment right there."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know how you can stand that crap. My mom watches that and I've unfortunately caught some of it. That has to be the worst show ever created."

Spike scowled at her. "I love you, Summers, but that was crossing a line. I may just have to punish you later."

Buffy didn't know why, but she actually felt excited by that.

He continued to search through the channels, until she let out a squeal.

"Oh, _Friends_, leave it there."

Spike groaned. "Are you bloody kidding me? Only a sodding pansy would be interested in this."

Now it was Buffy's turn to scowl. "I have you know that this is a great show. I catch the reruns whenever I can. It's very educational. What can you possibly learn from _Passions_? It's just a lame soap opera with no acting skills. I could act better in my sleep. How can you not like _Friends?_ The love story between Ross and Rachel has left me teary a few times. I would have given anything to have someone love me like that. He was devoted to her since high school and the feelings never went away. Not even when he was married to the lesbian. That's real love right there."

Spike looked at her in adoration. She was so bloody adorable when she got carried away like that, even if it was just over a television program. "Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?"

Buffy smiled in satisfaction and turned back to the show. It was one of her favorite episodes.

Spike broke the silence after a few seconds. "So, what is this about him being married to a lesbian?"

"That's a story for another time."

He nodded and continued to watch. "You know, that Rachel chit is pretty hot."

Buffy then snatched the remote out of his hand and turned the TV off. "Okay, I think it's time for bed now."

Spike laughed. "Are you actually jealous?"

She glared at him. "I'm so not jealous. I'm just tired and if you don't shut up, you'll get no more sex out of me."

His eyes widened. "You're bluffing."

"Try me, Spike. You're still on thin ice for the whole Lilah thing. Don't think I'm just going to forget about it because she finally decides to leave us alone. Checking out another woman, even if it was only on a TV show is not something you want to be doing right now."

Spike held his hands up in surrender. "Never going to happen again, but you are cute when you're jealous."

Buffy lay back down and gazed up at the ceiling. "Not jealous," she mumbled.

They were both silent after that, until Spike decided to speak up again.

"Isn't she the one that was married to that Brad bloke?"

Buffy was confused by his sudden question. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Never mind, she just lost some points with me for having bloody awful taste. Looks like I'm all yours, pet."

She smiled and moved closer to him, placing her head back on his chest. "You better say that. Now, get some sleep."

Spike trailed his fingers down her bare arm. "Do you really think I could sleep with you looking so gorgeous right now? I'm nowhere near tired."

Buffy glanced up at him. "What did you have in mind?"

"You feel like having another first?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Am I going to be worried about this?"

Spike smirked. "That depends, love. Have you ever thought about taking it from behind?"

Her jaw nearly dropped. "Uh, no, can't say that I've ever thought about that."

"So, what do you say?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know, Spike. I don't think I'm ready for that. I've heard Faith talk about it enough, but it doesn't sound like something I would care to experience. Not yet, anyway."

He nodded in understanding. "All right, I can respect that. I'll wait for when you're ready. That Faith bird is pretty kinky, isn't she?"

Buffy laughed and buried her face against his shoulder. "Oh, you have no idea."


	25. Chapter 25

Well, this story is almost over. I believe I only have two chapters left. I just haven't been feeling the love lately, and there was the whole lack of ideas. Thanks to those that have reviewed!**  
**

**Chapter 25**

Buffy entered the restroom before heading to her first class. She stopped suddenly at the sound of someone crying in one of the stalls, then tapped on the one that it was coming from.

"Are you okay in there?"

The sobs instantly turned into sniffles and a young, blonde girl walked out of the stall.

Buffy gave the girl a smile when she recognized her. "You're Tara, right? I'm Buffy, are you okay?"

She nodded and looked down. "It's…It's nothing. I should get to class."

Buffy stopped her from leaving. "We have some time. It doesn't seem like nothing to me. You can tell me what's wrong. I won't say anything if you don't want me to."

Tara took a deep breath and decided to tell her everything.

* * *

Buffy was still in a state of shock later that day after her conversation with Tara. She headed over to Faith's house because they needed to have a serious talk. Like before, her mother just let her into the house and Buffy made her way upstairs. She opened the door and was surprised to see Faith out of bed. 

"Hey, B. I'm actually going back to school tomorrow, if you can believe it. All this sitting around and doing nothing is really starting to get to me."

Buffy nodded and sat down on her bed, still lost in thought.

Faith noticed her friend's distracted expression and sat down beside her. "You okay?" she wondered.

Buffy shook her head and got right to the point. "I need you to tell me the truth about what happened between you and Principal Wood. Did he force you?"

Faith wasn't expecting that. "Are you asking if he raped me? Come on, Buffy. I wouldn't let some guy get away with that, it doesn't matter who he is. I can definitely handle myself."

Buffy placed her hand over Faith's. "Please, be honest with me. You can tell me the truth."

Faith sighed and had a feeling she would see through that. "I wasn't really forced. I obviously kept going back to him. The truth is that when I went in there for the first time, he threatened to suspend me if I didn't sleep with him. My mom had to drop out of high school because she was pregnant with me. I know how important it is to her that I graduate, so I couldn't handle a suspension. Now that I think back on everything, it was never worth it. Being with him and getting knocked up, I should have been more careful. It should have ended after that first time, but I kept going back for more. I guess I was just afraid of what he would do if I didn't. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret my actions. I feel dirty every time I think about what I did. I should have never let him touch me. Why are you bringing this up now?"

Buffy was stunned by everything she learned, but got back to the reason of her visit. "You know that quiet girl in our Math class, Tara Maclay?"

Faith nodded after giving it some thought.

"I saw her in the bathroom at school today and she was pretty upset. After she calmed down, I got her to tell me what was wrong. She told me that Principal Wood made a pass at her. He basically made the same threat to her that he did to you. And when she refused, he got forceful with her. It seems like to me it didn't matter whether you accepted his offer or not, he still would have tried to have sex with you. She was pretty shaken up about it. God, this guy is disgusting. I have a feeling there are a lot of girls in school that have gone through the same thing. Tara was just the only one willing to tell someone. I have to do something. He doesn't deserve to be a principal."

Faith had to agree. "What could you do?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking about trying to find any of the other girls that he has done this to. I have a feeling that just Tara's word wouldn't be enough. If I can find more girls that are willing to speak up, we may be able to get him fired."

"I'll help you find others, but I can't be a part of it. I don't want anyone to know that I was ever with him. I can't have my mother finding out about that, Buffy. I know she doesn't say it all the time, but I can tell that she's disappointed in me. I don't need to give her another reason to be."

Buffy didn't think that keeping it a secret was a good idea, but she only nodded. "Okay, we'll start asking around when you come back to school tomorrow."

Faith nodded as well, then decided to change the subject. "How are things going with you and Spike?"

Buffy blushed at just the mention of him. "Things are good, thanks for covering for me. My parents may know about us being together, but I don't think they're ready to know that I've stayed at his place."

"No prob, I'm just glad that it seems to be working out. One of us should have romance in our lives."

Buffy could tell that her friend wanted that, but would probably never admit to it. "You'll find someone, Faith. Someone that won't treat you like Robin did. Not all men are like him, he gives all of them a bad name. You deserve to have a great love. It will happen."

She gave a small smile. "My, how your tune has changed. What happened to you not believing in love anymore?"

Buffy smiled in return. "I guess I've had a change of heart. I realized that I'm not my parents. Their relationship may have ended badly, but that's not going to happen with me. Besides, they still love each other. I can tell that it's only a matter of time before my dad moves back into the house. I just hope it's soon. I really miss having him around."

"Yeah, I miss him always being there when I would visit you. I never told you this, but he was always like a dad to me. You know what mine was like, so it was nice having yours around. Your mom may have made a mistake, but your parents are still pretty cool. If anyone can get through this, it would be them."

Buffy knew that Faith was right. Her parents still had a very powerful love for one another, nothing could ever change that. She wouldn't give up hope that they would soon get back together.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

"No, you're not going to get involved in this. I won't allow it."

Buffy was taken aback, then felt her anger surface. "You won't allow it? I didn't come here for your permission, Spike. I just figured that you would like to know what your former boss was like. How can you not think this is a good idea after everything I just told you?"

Spike let out the breath that he didn't even realize he was holding. "I didn't say it wasn't a good idea. He shouldn't be a principal if that's the way he behaves, but I don't think you should get involved. It's not really your fight, unless you were one of his victims." His eyes widened. "You're not one of his victims, are you?"

Buffy shook her head and decided to tell him the truth. "I'm not, but Faith is. She may have continued to see him, but the first time he threatened her with a suspension if she wouldn't have sex with him. That's not something I can just let go. Faith is my best friend; she would do the same thing for me. I have to do something about him. You can support me or not, it doesn't really matter. I'm going to get him fired, one way or another."

Spike ran his fingers through his hair, knowing that it wasn't smart to argue with her when she set her mind to something.

* * *

Buffy got everything that she needed out of her locker the next day. She slammed it shut and turned around to see a young, dark haired girl standing next to her. She gave her a comforting smile. 

"Hey, are you Amanda?"

The girl nodded and took a deep breath before responding. "I talked with Faith. She…She said you could help me."

"Is this about Principal Wood?" Buffy wondered.

Amanda nodded again. "I'm ready to come clean about him. I've been keeping it inside for too long now."

Buffy smiled and was glad that they were finally getting somewhere.

* * *

"Seven girls, Faith. So far we've found seven that Robin has forced. I think we have enough to go to the school board." 

She agreed. "I just hope this won't come back to bite us in the ass."

Buffy shook her head. "There's nothing he would be able to do to us. He's as good as gone."

* * *

Faith watched as Robin packed up his belongings and left his office, not even giving her a glance. She couldn't find it in her to be sorry for him. He got exactly what he deserved. It was his wife that she felt sorry for. 

Buffy couldn't be happier that they succeeded, but she had no doubts. All of the girls confessed and told their stories of what Principal Wood did to them, but the biggest shock of all was when he actually admitted to it. He was a broken man now and would probably live with his bad choices for the rest of his life.

Xander ran over to them, trying to catch his breath.

Buffy raised her eyebrows when she saw him. "Hey, what's up?"

He finally got his breathing under control long enough to answer her. "We may have a bigger problem now. It turns out that it's too late in the semester to get a new principal, so word's going around that Snyder is taking over."

Buffy cringed when she thought of the troll-like little man that was their Vice Principal. He was horrible and even worse to put up with than Robin. "I think we may have made a big mistake," she said, only half kidding.

Faith put her arm around Buffy. "Look at it this way; we're almost out of here. Then we can put everyone in this hellhole behind us."

Buffy had to agree with that.

* * *

"You know, these really do come in handy." 

Spike panted from his position, once again handcuffed to his bedpost. "This just isn't bloody fair, love. When do I get to use the handcuffs on you?"

Buffy grinned and leaned toward his ear. "When you figure out how to take them off," she whispered huskily, taking his earlobe into her mouth and nibbling on it.

Spike groaned. "Your mission is to kill me, isn't it? That's what you were put in this world for."

Buffy giggled against his chest and glanced up at him after a few seconds. "I was put in this world to love you, but there's nothing wrong with a little torture along the way." She licked his nipple and gently bit down.

Spike gasped, but it had nothing to do with her actions. "Did you just say love?"

Buffy smiled shyly, the sex kitten from before now gone. "Caught that, did you?"

"What are you saying, Buffy?"

She took in a deep breath. "I'm saying that I love you, Spike. I thought that was pretty obvious by now."

He was still in shock. "Yeah, but it's still nice to hear. I didn't think you were ready to say the words yet."

Buffy shrugged. "Neither did I, but it's not so bad. It actually feels really good to say that."

Spike graced her with a soft smile. "Say it again," he pleaded.

She smiled in return. "I love you, Spike."

"Again, with my real name. I need to hear that."

Buffy understood what he wanted. He talked to her a little about his past and how no one could ever love the man that he used to be, but he was so very wrong. "I love you, William. I love all of you."

Spike felt tears prick his eyes and pulled at the handcuffs. "Get these off of me, Buffy. You can't say that and not expect for me to touch you. Please, I need to touch you right now."

Buffy quickly removed the handcuffs and was suddenly pulled into strong arms.

Spike flooded her face and hair with kisses, never wanting to let her go. "I love you, baby. God, I love you so much. Gonna love you forever, I promise you that."

Buffy felt her own eyes tear up and held him tighter. "I know," she whispered and really believed that he would always love her. If she knew anything about Spike, it was that he never walked away from those that he loved. He loved with everything that he had. Buffy knew that no matter what happened, he would always be there for her. It was time that she took another pregnancy test, but she wasn't afraid to this time. She had Spike's love and devotion; he would be there through everything if she ended up pregnant. Buffy would be able to handle anything with Spike by her side.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

Buffy let out a sigh when she read the results and exited the bathroom.

"So, what's the verdict?" Spike wondered from his position on the edge of his bed.

"I'm not pregnant. Honestly, I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Spike patted the spot next to him.

Buffy smiled and sat down on the bed, feeling comforted when he wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you disappointed that you're not pregnant?"

She thought about it. "I don't know. I think I'm just exhausted from all of these false pregnancies. I do want a baby, but I'm hoping that would happen a few years from now. I graduate from high school in a couple of days and I'm going to UC Sunnydale. I don't think I want to deal with any of the family stuff until I'm done with college."

Spike nodded and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "That sounds fine to me, love. I just have one question. Do you see yourself having a family with me, or do you not expect for this to last?"

That was clearly not what she was expecting him to say. "Technically that's two questions, but of course I see myself having a family with you. I have to admit that I didn't think this would last beyond high school, but now I can't imagine being with anyone else. You're it for me, Spike. I'm hoping you feel the same way. If you don't, I might just have to castrate you. You're not getting anyone else pregnant, mister."

Spike laughed and captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss, slipping his tongue inside her mouth. He pulled away when breathing became an issue. "You don't have to worry about that. You're the only one I could imagine having a baby with."

Buffy felt relieved and rested her head against his shoulder. "That works out nicely, then."

They remained in silence after that, both contemplating what the future would bring.

* * *

Spike cheered and whistled when Buffy's name was called. He watched with pride as his girl headed to the stage to accept her diploma. 

Buffy turned to the crowd and blew him a kiss, then waved to her parents. She couldn't believe that high school was finally over, it was definitely a relief. She made her way off of the stage and ran to where Spike was waiting, jumping into his arms and planting a big kiss on his mouth. Buffy didn't even care that they caused a few disapproving stares. Mostly everyone knew that he used to be a teacher at Sunnydale High, but Buffy would just let them believe that she got with Spike after he quit. It wasn't really their business, anyway. She was officially done with that school, but a throat being cleared caused her to pull away from her boyfriend.

"I think we should be offended that our appearance didn't cause such an excited reaction."

Buffy smiled shyly at her parents, forgetting they were there for a second. "Sorry, Daddy. Of course I'm happy that you guys are here, and together." It was about a week ago that her father moved back into the house. He forgave Joyce and couldn't be apart from his family any longer. They were back to being the same nauseating couple that Buffy always loved.

Faith then walked by and gave Buffy a smirk. "It's not fair to parade your eye candy in front of those that don't have any, B."

She blushed and looked away from the brunette's gaze.

Faith took pity on her. "I'm just teasing. We're finally out of this hellhole, girlfriend. I didn't think I would ever get out," she said, giving Buffy a quick hug. "We'll hang later, okay? I have to find my mom, she actually decided to come."

Buffy smiled as Faith walked away, glad that her friend seemed to be doing a lot better.

Spike wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a kiss to her temple. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

She turned in his embrace and gave him a somewhat shy smile. "I love you, too."

Spike flashed her a bigger smile at that. He would never get tired of hearing those words.

Buffy focused back on her parents and knew what had to be said. It was now or never. "I have to tell you both something. You're bound to hear some talking, so I figure it would be best coming from me." She took a deep breath before blurting out the rest. "Spike used to be my History teacher."

Joyce and Hank both had shocked expressions on their faces.

Spike's eyes widened at her confession, having no idea that she would tell them the truth. The look her father was now giving him could kill and he just wanted to be elsewhere, but Buffy saved him from having to say anything.

"Well, we'll just be going now. I'll probably get home late tonight, don't wait up." She then grabbed Spike's arm, pulling him away from her stunned parents and over to his car.

He got in after she did and instantly started the car up; driving away very quickly in fear that Hank might come after him. "You know, a warning would have been nice."

She grinned. "What would be the fun in that?"

* * *

"Bloody hell, baby. You're squeezing the bloody life out of me." 

Buffy smiled in satisfaction as she continued to ride him to oblivion. "You like that, do you?"

"You have no idea, love. Keep squeezing me, that's my good girl. You're always so tight," he panted.

Buffy lowered herself onto his chest and took his left nipple into her mouth. She knew that was a sensitive spot for him.

Spike couldn't handle the torture anymore and let out a manly roar, wrapping his arms around her and changing their positions. He grinned down at her as he continued to thrust in and out of her, then reached into his drawer and located his prize.

Buffy didn't know what he was doing, until she suddenly found herself handcuffed to the bedpost. She was now looking up at a very aroused man. "You better know how to get these off."

He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "Don't worry your pretty little head about that."

Buffy gasped when he drove further into her. "God, do that again."

Spike was happy to oblige. He made his thrusts fast and hard, throwing his head back when he reached release.

Buffy cried out and followed his lead, never knowing such intense pleasure.

Spike lay on top of her panting, but being careful not to crush her. "I can never get tired of that," he claimed after a moment of silence.

"I would hope not. I think I saw stars again."

He chuckled and moved off of her body, taking the handcuffs off after he got his breathing under control. "I should thank Angel for these. They really do come in handy."

Buffy rested her head against his sweaty chest. "It might be a while before I can move."

"If I had my way, we would never leave this bed."

Buffy had to agree, but knew that she couldn't avoid the parents forever. She dreaded the conversation that was bound to take place when she got home, but quickly pushed it out of her head. She would worry about that later.

Spike ran his fingers through her hair, loving the feel of her silken tresses. He could live for a hundred years and never get his fill of her. Spike grinned when something suddenly entered his mind, hoping that she wouldn't be upset for him suggesting it again. "So, have you considered my offer about being taken from behind?"

A sly smile was his only response.

They wouldn't be leaving the bed for a long time.

**The End**

Should I do my evil laugh now? Yes, I know that's just horrible of me to leave it there, but I couldn't resist. I would have liked for this story to be longer. I was just out of ideas for it. There could be the possibility of a sequel, but I make no promises. I did leave a lot unanswered, though. If I ever do get anymore ideas, I will definitely consider it. I have another story that I plan on posting soon. I really can't seem to quit, hopefully you guys don't mind. I would just like to get more of it written before I start posting. Thanks to those that read and reviewed this one. Your comments were much appreciated!


	28. Epilogue

Well, I decided to add an epilogue to this story after giving it some thought. I doubt I would really get a chance to do a sequel, so this is better than nothing. It's just some goodness for Valentine's Day. Hope you guys like it!

**Epilogue**

_Four years later…_

"All right, Spike, are we gonna do this or not? I have other places to be."

He nodded at the blonde woman in front of him, taking a deep breath. "We're doing this, Darla. Show me what you've got."

She smiled in response and did just that.

* * *

"God, I've never been so exhausted in my life." 

Buffy grinned at the brunette. "Well, you do have three kids."

Faith sighed. "What was I thinking?"

Buffy laughed. "You were thinking that you wanted to have a family with the man you love. I can relate to that."

Faith smiled when she thought about her kids and husband. "Wow, can you believe it's been four years now since I've been with Angel? Who would have thought that we would ever get together after you introduced us? I never thought that I would be one to settle down."

"Yeah, but you two are perfect for each other. You've totally tamed him. I'm really happy for you, Faith. You've come a long way since high school."

She nodded and decided to change the subject to something else. "So, I got a postcard from Willow and Xander on their honeymoon. They've hardly even left the hotel room."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "That really doesn't surprise me, but I'm glad they're having fun."

Faith agreed. "So, what do you guys have planned for tonight?"

Buffy frowned and looked away from her friend's gaze. "Um, we don't really have anything."

Faith raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying that Spike has nothing planned for you on Valentine's Day? You guys are always nauseatingly mushy around this time of the year."

Buffy shrugged and glanced back up at her. "He's been working a lot lately and probably just forgot. It's not a big deal."

Faith wouldn't believe that. Spike kept pretty busy since he became the principal at Sunnydale High because Snyder decided that he finally had enough with kids and retired. She knew what was really going on with him, but had to keep a straight face for Buffy and not reveal the secret. It was the hardest one she ever had to keep. "Come on, Buffy. You can't fool me, I'm sure he's got something under his sleeve. When are you going to tell him that you're pregnant?"

She let out a sigh. "I guess when I go over later. Something should be celebrated today; I just hope he'll be happy about it."

Faith nodded. "I don't think you have to worry about that, you already know that he wants kids. You've seen him with my little ones, the look in his eyes. It's something he wants more than anything, I can tell."

Buffy felt a little relieved by that, but she wouldn't get her hopes up just yet. "I guess I should get going now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Faith watched as Buffy left, knowing that her friend was about to get a huge surprise.

* * *

Buffy let herself into Spike's apartment with the key that he gave her. She practically lived there, anyway, but they hadn't officially moved in together yet. She headed into the living room and gasped at the sight in front of her, bringing her hand to her mouth. There was soft music playing, candles lit everywhere, and a romantic dinner for two prepared. Buffy removed her hand and gazed at Spike. 

"What is all of this?" she wondered in astonishment.

Spike moved over to her, taking her hand in his and kissing her palm. "Happy Valentine's Day, baby."

Buffy felt tears in her eyes now. "You remembered," she said, it wasn't a question.

He smiled. "I could never forget the most romantic day of the year. I just wanted you to think that I did. Were you surprised?"

She nodded, still in a state of shock. "I think it's safe to say that I am.

Spike motioned her over to the decorated table and pulled her chair out.

Buffy smiled in gratitude and took a seat.

He sat down across from her, gazing into her eyes. "I made all of your favorites. I took off of work today to set everything up."

Buffy was surprised to hear that, but definitely not disappointed.

"I know that it seems like I haven't been available much lately, but that's all going to change. I have something to ask you when we're done eating."

She felt a little nervous about what that could be, but tried not to let it show. Buffy just smiled and watched as Spike took a sip of the champagne that he poured for them earlier, her glass remaining untouched.

* * *

"I don't think I can eat another bite," she said, patting her stomach. 

Spike chuckled. "I would think not, I still have yet to know where you put it all. You're so tiny."

Buffy blushed and knew that she wouldn't be that tiny in a few months.

Spike took a deep breath and decided that now was the time. "Buffy, there's something I need to ask you," he started and reached into his pocket. "I called Darla today because I needed her help with this." He pulled out a black box and opened it to reveal a beautiful, diamond ring.

Buffy gasped when she saw the sparkling jewel.

"She works in a jewelry store and brought some rings over for me to look at, and I settled on this one. I know you're in your last year of college, but I don't think I can wait another second to ask you to be my wife." He took another deep breath before saying the rest. "Will you marry me?"

Buffy couldn't hold her tears back and nodded. She didn't need to hesitate with her answer. "Yes, I'll marry you. I was starting to think that you would never ask."

He shook his head and took the ring out of the box, slipping it on her finger to find that it was the perfect fit. "I was just waiting for the right moment. I love you, Buffy."

She wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, too, but there's something that I have to tell you."

Spike pulled away to look at her in confusion. "What is it?" he wondered.

It was her turn to take a deep breath. "This now makes what I have to say even more perfect. I just hope you'll feel the same way." Another breath. "I'm pregnant, Spike. About a month now, I just wasn't sure how to tell you."

He was stunned into silence for a moment, then a huge smile broke out on his face. "You're pregnant? We're having a baby?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it looks like." She didn't have time to think about anything else as Spike enveloped her in a big hug.

"You've made me the happiest man in the world, Buffy. I can't believe I'm going to be a father. I love you so much."

Buffy held him tighter, tears streaming down her face. "I love you, too. I'm just so relieved that you're okay with this."

He pulled out of the embrace to stare at her. "Were you actually worried that I wouldn't be?"

She shrugged. "I had some doubts."

Spike smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips. "You never had to worry about that. I couldn't imagine wanting anything more. You're going to be my wife and give me a child, that's all I could ever ask for."

Buffy grinned and looked up at him. "I guarantee there's something else I can give you."

He waggled his eyebrows. "Is that so? Aren't you too full?"

She shook her head. "I'm never too full for that."

That was all Spike needed and with quickness that even surprised him, lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

Buffy giggled at his antics and let him take full control.

Spike kissed her passionately, being careful not to drop her.

They finally entered his room and Spike kicked the door closed, her laughter ringing out through the walls.

It was definitely a Valentine's Day to remember.

**The End**

And there you have it, my actual ending. I seem to have this habit of stopping at the good part. Thanks to all of those that have supported this fiction, your comments meant a lot to me. Happy Valentine's Day!


End file.
